The Paths We Tread
by RosesandThorns666
Summary: Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**A/N: **Hi! Another sister!fic set from when John, Sam and Dean reunite in Season 1 (1x16). Blaire's destiny will become apparent as the stories go on.

**WARNING:** This may end up replacing the "Bloodlines" Series.

**I HOPE YOU ENJOY! **

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter One **

"Dad, is this a good idea?" Blaire asked as she sat at the table of the room her brothers were currently staying in, "You know…we might freak 'em out and get a bullet for it."

John chuckled and shook his head, turning to look at his damn beautiful daughter. She was like his wife, Mary in so many ways, and in the twenty-two years he'd had to care for her on his own he'd seen her blossom into a stunning young woman, headstrong, brave, feisty and hearty, bubbly, funny, highly skilled as a hunter and down to earth. She was a sarcastic little thing too at times. The twenty-four year old spun a knife in her hand, dark blonde hair tied in a ponytail, fringe covering her eyes as she looked at her father, deep green orbs hidden beneath it. Her long fingers tapped on the table impatiently, full lips pouting slightly as she thought. Her beige jacket brought out her green eyes, John always thought, the black tank top beneath it making the shape of her body stand out. John knew that men were always checking out his daughter and it made him feel sick, knowing they'd probably walk away having a gross fantasy about her. Her dark blue jeans were new, already fraying at the bottom from where her dark brown hunting boots had caught them when she'd been hunting. Her nostrils flared as she put the knife away, beautiful white teeth biting her bottom lip as she prepared herself to ask a question.

"Will…will the demon come do you think?"

Her father looked at her with warm eyes and shook his head.

"Probably not. Not until we're at our most vulnerable." He replied, "Your gun loaded?"

"Yes, sir." Blaire replied, taking out her hipflask and taking a drink.

"Whiskey doesn't help, Blaire." John said, Blaire shrugging.

"I know." She said, studying the ring she got for her christening as it rested on her middle finger, "I just like the stuff."

"Dean always did." John remarked, his daughter breathing a shaky sigh and nodding.

"He sure did."

That's when the door opened and Dean and Sam entered, seeing the outlines of the shapes in the dark.

"Hey!" Dean yelled, Sam turning on the lights.

Blaire looked up and John turned around Sam and Dean gasping in shock at who was standing in their motel room, the two people they'd been searching for, for all this time.

"Dad?" Dean asked, "Blaire?"

"Hey, boys." John said softly, moving towards Dean and holding him tight, Sam and Blaire watching sadly as their brother and father embraced, "Hi, Sam."

"Hey, Dad." Sam said, placing his bag of weapons on the floor.

"Blaire…" Dean breathed, looking at his sister with a sad expression, "Oh God…"

Blaire stepped closer and wound her arms around her big brother, kissing his cheek and sighing shakily.

"Hey, Dean." She whispered, smiling as Dean broke away and Sam approached her, "Hey, Sammy."

"Hi, Blaire." Sam said quietly, wrapping his arms around his older sister's much smaller form.

"Damn!" Blaire laughed, "Look at you, gigantor!"

Sam chuckled and kissed Blaire's head, happy to see his sister again after all this time.

"Dad, it was a trap." Dean said quietly, "I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"It's alright." John replied, "We thought it might've been."

"Were you there?" Dean asked, a little shocked.

"Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive." John replied, "She _was_ the bad guy, right?"

"Yes, sir." Dean and Sam replied, Blaire taking another swig of whiskey.

Dean watched with concern but it left his eyes immediately.

"Good. Well, it doesn't surprise me." John laughed, "It's tried to stop us before."

"The demon has?" Sam asked.

"It knows we're close." John replied.

"It knows we're gonna kill it." Blaire replied with a slight smile, "Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell…actually kill it."

"How?" Dean asked.

John and Blaire both smiled, the grins making Sam and Dean a little nervous.

"We're working on that." John answered.

"Let us come with you." Sam pleaded, "We'll help."

Dean gave his brother a warning look.

"No, Sam. Not yet. Just try to understand." John said softly, "This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt."

"No, but it's okay for Blaire to go?" Dean asked, Blaire putting a hand up in response to calm her brother.

"It's alright, Dean. I just wait in the motel room," Blaire said, "I don't do any fighting really."

"Dad, you don't have to worry about us." Sam said, trying to settle the atmosphere before a fight broke out.

"Of course I do." John told him, "I'm your father."

He paused for a moment, looking at his youngest child.

"Listen, Sammy, last time we were together," He began, "We had one hell of a fight."

"Yes, sir." Sam replied, tears filling his dark brown eyes as they spoke.

"It's good to see you again." John said, "It's been a long time."

"Too long." Sam added, embracing his father as both of them were in tears.

They broke apart and all shared teary looks, suddenly John being flung into a wall and Sam being taken down too. Dean was then thrown while Blaire screamed as she was too. Suddenly she screamed as she was slashed across her face, her brothers and father undergoing an attack. John watched in horror as his daughter was thrown into a wall, her body impacting with a sickening thud. Sam, meanwhile, made his way over to the bag of weapons and pulled out a flare.

"Shut your eyes!" He yelled, "These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!"

He lit the flare and the room was full of brilliant white light, the shadow demon vanishing whilst Sam, Dean, Blaire and John made their way out of the room.

* * *

The family moved down an alley where the Impala was, Blaire's bag over her shoulder as she trailed behind her family.

"Alright, come on. We don't have much time." Sam began, "As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back."

"Wait, wait. Sam, wait." Dean protested, "Dad, you can't come with us."

"What?" Sam retorted, "What are you talking about?"

"You boys…" John breathed, "Blaire…you're all beat to hell."

"We'll be alright." Dean replied, trying to reassure his father.

"Dean, we should stick together." Sam said, "We'll go after those demons…"

"Sam! Listen to me! We almost got Dad killed in there." Dean began, "Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop, they're gonna try again."

He sounded sadder as he continued, Blaire grimacing as she watched her brother have to justify his decisions.

"They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right." He breathed, "Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's…he's stronger without us around."

"Dad, no." Sam argued, putting a hand on his father's shoulder, "After everything, after all the time we spent looking for you…please. I gotta be a part of this fight."

"Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play." John explained, "For now, you've got to trust me, son, okay? You've gotta let me go."

Dean and Sam nodded, Blaire hugging her father.

"Love you, Dad."

"Love you, Blaire."

He looked at his children and sighed, moving over to his truck before saying his last words to them for now.

"Be careful, boys." He told them, "Look after your sister."

The brothers nodded and watched as their father drove away, Dean looking across at Sam with concern.

"Come on." He said, all three of them getting in the car and driving away, Meg watching them with gleaming eyes as they went.

-TBC-


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Two **

Blaire bit her lip as she tried to suppress a laugh, watching her cheeky older brother as he popped a spoon in Sam's mouth, keeping his eye on the road while taking a photo of the sleeping giant who snored in the front seat of the Impala. Dean turned up the volume of the speakers and both he and Blaire started singing.

"_A fire of unknown origin took my baby away!"_

Sam shot out of sleep and spat the spoon out, Dean drumming on the steering wheel while Blaire burst into a huge fit of laughter on the backseat. Sam turned down the volume and looked at his siblings.

"Haha, very funny." He said with a sigh.

"Sorry. Not a lot of scenery here in east Texas," Dean chuckled, "You kinda gotta make your own."

Sam huffed, Blaire trying to stop laughing.

"Man, we're not kids anymore, Dean." Sam breathed, "We're not gonna start that crap up again."

"Start what up?" Dean asked, he and Blaire sharing confused looks in the rear-view mirror.

"That prank stuff…it's stupid," Sam said, "And it always escalates."

"Oh, what's the matter, Sammy, you afraid you're gonna get a little Nair in your shampoo again, huh?" Dean asked, Blaire almost spitting her whiskey out.

"Alright. Just remember, you started it." Sam warned, Blaire sitting back in her seat and chuckling.

She loved this. She loved seeing her brothers messing around, pranking each other, having fun and just…she loved being with them. It was like home for her, but she still missed her father.

"Oh, bring it on, Baldy." Dean laughed, Blaire smiling at her older brother.

Her smile faded as she thought of her dad and if he was okay or what he was doing.

"You okay?"

Dean's voice snapped her out of her trance and she shook her head, smiling and nodding in response.

"Few hours outside of Richardson." Dean replied, "Give us the lowdown again."

Blaire sat forward in her seat, ready to listen to the details of the case as Sam picked up a piece of paper from the dashboard. Seeing his father again seemed to have unleashed a new emotion in Sam, and Blaire could see it there, she just didn't know what it was.

"Alright, about a month or two ago, this group of kids goes poking around in this local haunted house." Sam explained.

"Haunted by what?" Blaire asked.

"Apparently, a pretty misogynistic spirit." Sam began, Blaire and Dean raising eyebrows in response, "Legend goes, it takes girls and strings them up in the rafters. Anyway, this group of kids see this dead girl hanging in the cellar."

"Anybody ID the corpse?" Blaire asked before Dean could, chuckling at the playful pout and warning finger she got in the rear-view mirror.

"Well, that's the thing. By the time the cops got there, the body was gone." Sam said, both Dean and Blaire looking completely confused, "So, cops are saying the kids were just yanking chains."

"Well, maybe the cops are right." Dean replied.

"Maybe, but I read a couple of the kids' firsthand accounts." Sam said with a grimace, "They seem pretty sincere."

"Where'd you read these accounts?" Dean asked, both him and his sister noticing Sam's hesitation made both Dean and Blaire a little wary.

"Well, I knew we were gonna be passing through Texas. So, uh, last night I searched some local….paranormal websites." The youngest Winchester began, Dean rolling his eyes in response, "And I found one."

"And what's it called?" Dean asked, Sam being reluctant to respond.

"Hell Hound's Lair dot com." He answered, Dean sighing at the reply.

"Let me guess, streaming live out of Mom's basement." He said, Sam laughing at the remark.

"Yeah, probably."

"Yeah, most of those websites wouldn't know a ghost if it bit 'em in the persqueeter." Dean said with a soft chuckle, Blaire laughing too.

"Look, we let Dad take off, which was a mistake, by the way." Sam began, "And now, we don't know where the hell he is, so, in the meantime, we've got to find ourselves something to hunt. There's no harm checking this thing out."

Dean looked sceptical but Blaire piped up.

"Sam's right," She said softly, "Look we don't know what's going on with dad so let's just keep going…this sounds like it could be promising."

"Alright. So, where do we find these kids?" Dean asked.

"Same place you always find kids in a town like this." Sam replied.

* * *

The group had listened to the teens' accounts and they were given a name. Craig Thurston. Entering a record store, they were met by who they presumed was Craig.

"Gentlemen, can I help you with anything?" He asked, spotting Blaire and giving her the eye, "And lady?"

Sam hated it when people checked out is sister, she wasn't a piece of meat.

"Yeah, are you Craig Thurston?" He asked, trying not to sound pissed.

"I am." Craig replied, confused as to who these people were.

"Well, we're reporters with the _Dallas Morning News_. I'm Dean, this is Sam." Dean began, "And this is Blaire. She's a trainee."

"No way. Yeah, I'm a writer, too." Craig said excitedly, "I write for my school's lit magazine."

"Oh, good for you, Morrison." Dean chuckled.

"We're doing an article on local hauntings, and rumour has it you might know about one." Blaire said, Craig nodding in response.

"You mean the Hell House?" He asked.

"That's the one." Dean replied.

"I didn't think there was anything to the story." Craig breathed.

"Why don't you tell us the story?" Sam asked, Craig nodding and taking a deep breath.

"Well, supposedly, back in the thirties, this farmer, Mordechai Murdoch, used to live in the house with his six daughters. It was during the Depression." Craig explained, "His crops were failing. He didn't have enough money to even feed his own children. So, I guess that's when he went off the deep end."

"How?" Blaire breathed.

"Well, he figured it was best if his girls died quick rather than starve to death, so he attacked them. They screamed, begged for him to stop, but he just strung them up, one after another." Craig continued, "And then, when he was all finished, he turned around and hung himself. Now, they say that his spirit is trapped in the house forever, stringing up any other girl who goes inside."

"But where'd you hear all this?" Dean asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

"My cousin, Dana, told me. I don't know where she heard it from." Craig replied, "You've gotta realize I didn't believe this for a second."

"But now you do?" Sam asked.

"I don't know what the hell to think, man. Guys, I'll tell you exactly what I told the police, okay? That girl was real, and she was dead." Craig said worriedly, "This was not a prank. I swear to God, I don't wanna go anywhere near that house ever again, okay?"

Dean and Sam shared a look and Blaire looked concerned for the poor guy.

"Thanks." She said softly, tapping Dean's arm to signal their departure.

Climbing in the Impala, Dean watched his sister and shared a concerned look with Sam as they saw her take a swig of whiskey. Blaire never used to drink whiskey. It was always beer, soda or water…_never _whiskey. Both he and Sam wondered if she'd just changed her tastes or if this was something worse. No…she'd just changed her tastes…yeah, that was it…right?

"You alright, Blaire?" He asked as Blaire rubbed her head and the bridge of her nose.

"Huh?" She asked, "Yeah, thanks, Sam. Just tired."

Sam smiled softly at his sister and she smiled back, taking another drink of whiskey and sighing.

"It doesn't help, y'know." Sam said softly, Blaire huffing out a laugh and putting the hipflask away.

"God, you're more like Dad than I remember," She said sweetly, leaning forward and hugging her brothers, "I love you guys."

Sam chuckled while Dean raised an eyebrow with a soft smile on his face.

"Okay, c'mon," Dean laughed, "This ain't Oprah. Let's get going, shall we, ladies?"

Next stop: Hell House. Wonderful.

-TBC-

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Anything in between? I'd love to know.**

**Thanks for reading so far! xxxxxxxxx  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**A/N: **Whilst writing the end of this chapter I ended up in tears. Hope you enjoy and if I make you cry, I'm sorry! xxxxx

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Three **

The Winchesters moved towards the ugly building, the family staring up at it and pulling faces of disgust.

"Can't say I blame the kid." Sam said with a huff, Dean chuckling in response.

"Yeah, so much for curb appeal." Dean said, Blaire and Sam laughing out loud at the remark.

The group walked around the side of the building, Dean looking around before whipping out the EMF meter which started beeping, Blaire and Sam looking pretty interested.

"You got something?" Blaire asked, Dean nodding in response.

"Yeah." Dean replied, "The EMF's no good."

"Why?" Sam asked, Dean nodding towards a nearby telephone pole.

"I think that thing's still got a little juice in it." He said, sighing and shaking his head, "It's screwing with all the readings."

"Yeah, that'd do it." Blaire breathed.

"Yep. Come on, let's go." Dean said, the three of them heading inside.

"Wow…" Blaire whispered, "Look at this place!"

The siblings moved through the damaged old building, Dean spotting some strange symbols on the wall.

"Looks like Old Man Murdoch was a bit of a tagger during his time." He breathed, Sam adding some information.

"And after his time, too." He began, "The reversed cross has been used by Satanists for centuries, but this sigil of sulfur didn't show up in San Francisco until the sixties."

Blaire and Dean looked at each other.

"Oooooh!" Blaire giggled, "Snazzy info, Mr. Genius."

"This is exactly why you never get laid." Dean said, Blaire tutting and huffing.

"God, Dean! Just 'cause we're not all whores like you!" She said, sharing a secret high-five with Sam, "His nerdiness clearly makes him attractive to women."

Dean tutted and headed over to check out another symbol.

"Hey, what about this one?" He asked, "Either of you seen this one before?"

Sam shook his head and moved over to take a photo, Blaire sighing and shaking her head too.

"No."

"No."

Dean thought for a moment and nodded.

"I have…somewhere."

Blaire ran her finger over the symbol and shuddered.

"It's paint." She said, rubbing her hands together to get the feeling of dried paint from her hands (because it made her feel sick), "Seems pretty fresh, too."

"I don't know, guys." Dean began, "I mean, I hate to agree with authority figures of any kind, but the cops might be right about this one."

His younger siblings nodded in response. Everyone's head snapped up as they heard sounds coming from another room, Blaire pulling her handgun out and loading it, Dean and Sam turning their flashlights to the door while their sister kicked it through, all three of them running in to see two, quite obviously, computer geeks standing there before them holding flashlights and computer equipment.

"Cut!" One of them cried, "Just a few humans. What are you guys doing here?"

"What the hell are _you_ doin' here?" Dean asked while Blaire put her gun away.

"Uh, we belong here." Ed said, "We're professionals."

"Professional what?" Blaire asked.

"Paranormal investigators." Ed smirked, taking out some business cards and handing them to the Winchesters, "There ya go. Take a look at that, kids."

The three of them read the cards and Blaire looked up, raising an eyebrow.

"Who you calling kids?" She snapped.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." Dean huffed.

"Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler." Sam began, "Hell Hound's Lair dot com, you guys run that website."

"Yeah." Ed said with pride.

""Oh, yeah. Yeah, we're huge fans." Dean said with sarcasm, Blaire biting back a laugh as her older brother just moved over to another area of the room.

"And, uh, we know who you are, too."

The family looked a little nervous.

"Oh yeah?" Sam asked.

"Amateurs." Ed replied, the family relaxing a little before Blaire broke into laughter, "Looking for ghosts and cheap thrills."

"Yeah. So, if you guys don't mind," Harry said, "We're trying to conduct a serious scientific investigation here."

"Yeah? What do you got so far?" Dean asked, Ed suddenly becoming cocky and full of himself.

"Uh, Harry, why don't you tell 'em about EMF?"

The ludicrousness of the situation all became too much for Blaire and she burst into a huge laugh, shaking her head and patting her brothers on the shoulder.

"Sorry, guys," She breathed, holding her stomach, "I gotta get out of here."

Reaching the Impala, Blaire fell against it, laughing so hard she had tears rolling down her face. Those guys were so full of it, she couldn't help but laugh. If they saw a real ghost, they'd probably run away screaming like girls. That image made her laugh even more and ended up lying on the floor. Dean left the house with Sam and saw her on the floor, the way she was holding herself making them think she was in pain.

"Blaire?" Dean asked, sprinting towards his sister and sighing with relief when he heard her laughter, Sam smiling and helping her stand up.

"What's so funny?" Sam asked.

"Those fucking morons in there!" Blaire cackled, mocking Ed quite well, "'Uh, Harry, why don't you tell 'em about EMF?' Oh my God, that's just fucking priceless!"

Dean and Sam laughed a little too as they climbed into the Impala, Blaire wiping her eyes and sighing.

"That's gotta be the best laugh I've had in a damn long time." She chuckled, "Holy cow…"

Dean grinned at his sister then at Sam who smiled gently. That's what they loved the most about Blaire. Even in the crappiest of situations, she could make people smile, make them feel better and even see the funny side of whatever situation they were in.

* * *

While Sam was researching at the local library, Dean and Blaire caught up on the few months they'd missed of each other. They sat in a diner, Dean munching his way through a piece of pie while Blaire tapped her fingers on the table. Dean reached over and covered her hand with his, pressing it flush against the table.

"You make me nervous when you do that." He said softly, Blaire smiling sweetly and giggling.

"Sorry…just thinkin' about Dad is all." She replied, "I'm not gonna lie, Dean, I'm worried sick. I miss him…and I just…"

"I know, I get it." Dean said, swallowing a piece of pie, "Look, don't let it get to you too much, 'cause we got a job to do, honey."

"I know, Dean." Blaire replied, "So…what were you doing while looking for us? Just hunting other stuff?"

"Yeah," Dean said quietly, "Hooked up with Cassie."

"Cassie?" Blaire asked, "Oh my God! Did you…you know…?"

"Yeah…" Dean replied, "It was awesome…but she, uh…she turned me down when…"

He trailed of and Blaire took his hand, squeezing it gently.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." She said softly.

"What about you?" Dean asked, "What were you doing when Dad hunted the demon alone?"

"I slept with a guy I'd met on a hunt…" She answered, "That was…well…"

Dean chuckled and shook his head.

"Not all it was cracked up to be?"

"No."

Sadness clouded her eyes then but she wavered it away with a weak smile. Dean felt bad for her. Blaire was the type of girl who wanted someone who'd always be there, who'd love her and protect her, who'd want her for more than her physical appearance. She averted his gaze and Dean was a little worried.

"What happened?" Dean asked, getting the feeling there was more to this than Blaire was letting on.

"I…I didn't know…" Blaire breathed, "I really…I don't wanna talk about this."

Dean threw some notes on the table and grabbed Blaire's hand, pulling her out of the diner and to the Impala.

After driving to somewhere secluded, away from prying eyes and ears, Dean turned in his seat to look at his sister.

"What happened, Blaire?"

Blaire looked at her hands and pulled on her fingers, sighing before revealing the secret she promised John she'd never reveal.

"The guy I slept with…he was a vampire…but not a…not a vicious one," Blaire breathed, tears forming in her gorgeous green eyes, "I thought he was a little pale in the face, but he made no attempts to bite me or anything…and I didn't know that's what he was…"

"And then what?" Dean asked, not liking where this was going.

"I was late…" She said, gesturing her abdomen so Dean knew what she meant, "And I took a test…I was pregnant…"

"How long ago was this?" Dean asked in shock, "When did it happen?"

"About a week or so after we left you…" Blaire whispered, sniffling and wiping her eyes, "Dad knew…and on the fourth month he just…"

"He what?" Dean asked, his heart racing in his chest as he went through everything that John could've done to her.

When Blaire sobbed heavily, Dean grabbed her shoulders, rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs when he realised he'd grabbed her too hard.

"He what, Blaire?" He asked again, earning nothing but sobs, "Blaire, for fuck's sake, what did he do?"

"HE STABBED ME AND KILLED MY BABY!" Blaire screamed, collapsing against her brother and gripping his shirt, "He got me in my sleep…took his chance when I couldn't defend myself…"

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing and he felt tears stinging his eyes.

"He didn't tell me to get an abortion…he let me go on until there was a fucking bump in the way, letting me show the world I had a baby growing inside me before he took it away…" She cried, "And you can't tell Sam…please don't tell Sam…"

She was close to being physically sick, she could feel it and Dean could see it. He rushed and opened the door, pushing her forward as she emptied her stomach onto the grass by her door. As he rubbed her back and told her she was okay, he couldn't help but feel so fucking angry at his father for doing that to her. He didn't want to believe it but he knew it was true, and as she recovered from her sickness, he knew he'd have to tell Sam. He just had to.

-TBC-


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Four**

How was Dean going to tell Sam this? He still was having trouble believing that his own father was capable of something so monstrous. He'd stabbed his own child so she wouldn't be able to give birth to her own child, a half-vampire baby. Blaire sat in the back of the Impala, tears streaming down her face still as she remembered everything that happened. Sam emerged from the library with research in his hand, seeing Dean and Blaire sat in the backseat, who turned her head away.

"Hey." Sam said softly.

"Hey." Dean replied, seeing his brother gesture to the car.

"She okay?"

Dean shook his head and leaned a little closer to his brother. He wasn't going to tell him here in the middle of a street, and he wasn't going to in front of Blaire either.

"We need to talk later." Dean said, Sam nodding in understanding, "What've you got?"

"Well, I couldn't find a Mordechai, but I did turn up a Martin Murdoch who lived in that house in the thirties." Sam said, "He did have children, but only two of them…both boys…and there was no record he ever killed anybody."

"Huh." Dean huffed in response.

"What about you?"

Dean shook his head and looked at his brother.

"Let's just get back to the motel, huh?"

"Dean, what's going on?"

"I'll explain later."

* * *

"Dad did what?" Sam gasped.

Blaire got the fright of her life when she awoke to her brothers talking about her in the middle of the room. She didn't roll over though, she just lay there, letting them think she was asleep.

"Dad killed her baby, Sam! Our nephew or niece!" Dean hissed, "Stabbing Blaire in the stomach while she slept!"

Sam shook his head.

"No…Dad wouldn't do that…"

"Sammy…she showed me the scar…" Dean breathed, "She even showed me a couple of secret scan photos she'd had taken, keeping them hidden away so Dad wouldn't find them."

"How far along was she?"

"Four months." Blaire said, Dean and Sam looking over to the bed and then looking to the floor.

Blaire knew they were being pitiful of her and she didn't like to see them hurting.

"Four months and he killed my baby." She continued, "He couldn't tell me to get an abortion…nothing…just got me one night when I was asleep."

Sam sighed and looked at his sister who still hadn't turned over yet.

"I'm so sorry, Blaire." He whispered, "I never thought he had it in him to do that…especially to you…"

"It wasn't my fault…" She breathed, "The condom split…"

"Okay, we don't need details…" Dean huffed, Sam smacking his arm and glaring in response.

"Neither of us knew." She said quietly, "Neither me or the guy I slept with."

She sighed shakily and looked at the bathroom door, almost completely zoned out.

"M'sorry I couldn't keep your nephew or niece." She whispered, "I might never be able to have kids again after…"

She broke into sobs and curled in on herself, both brothers sitting by her side, Sam rubbing her back reassuringly. This was so horrible for her to have gone through, and they felt terrible for her. Sam pulled her up into his side and hugged her, Dean joining in the hug and kissing her head softly and resting against her. She chuckled and wiped her eyes.

"Okay, we're not girls." She laughed, her brothers chuckling and releasing her as she wiped her eyes again.

"You are." Dean said.

"I'm not a girl, jerk!" She giggled, "I'm a woman!"

"Damn right, shrimp." Sam replied, earning a punch on the arm.

"Shut up, bitch." She retorted, "I'm taking a shower."

Dean and Sam watched her head into the bathroom, both sharing looks before Sam sat at his laptop.

"You just wait until we see Dad." Sam breathed, "I'll fucking kill him."

"Sam, he probably did what he thought was right." Dean replied, Sam's mouth dropping open in shock.

"Oh, come on, Dean! Get real!" Sam yelled, "He did it because he didn't want to have to help raise a half-breed, that's what it was!"

Dean sighed and bowed his head.

"He was too fucking scared to have something supernatural in the family, so he goes and kills his grandchild." Sam cried, "He killed his grandbaby! Nearly killed his daughter too judging by the size of the scar. I bet that took forever to clean up!"

"Sam, calm down!" Dean begged, "Please…for Blaire, huh? She needs to put this behind her and move on, okay?"

Sam took a deep breath and nodded, grabbing a beer and taking a swig. Wait until he saw his father next…boy, was there gonna be a fight.

* * *

The next morning, Dean, Sam and Blaire stood outside the Hell House, watching as a body was brought out. Blaire watched the black mass disappear into the ambulance, knowing that some poor kid had probably died in there. Dean had been wrong. There was something they'd missed.

That night, the three of them approached the house, seeing the police standing outside, making sure no other kids could get in.

"We still gotta get in there." Dean said, turning as he heard whispers, "I don't believe it."

Sam and Blaire turned to see Ed and Harry making their way towards the house. A light bulb flickered on in Dean's brain as an idea filled his head.

"I got an idea." He chuckled, standing up from the bushes before shouting, "Who ya gonna call?"

The officers didn't see the Winchesters, but Ed and Harry.

"Hey! You!" They yelled, Ed and Harry sprinting in the other direction with the officers chasing them.

"Let's go." Blaire whispered, the three siblings moving towards the house.

"Man, where have I seen that symbol before?"

Dean said as the three of them entered the house, all getting out their weapons, "It's killing me!"

"Come on," Sam breathed, "We don't have much time."

They entered the dark, dim, dirty basement and looking around, Dean picking up a jar.

"Hey, Sam, I dare you to take a swig of this." He chuckled, Sam looking disgusted.

"What the hell would I do that for?" He asked, Dean ending up silent for a moment.

"I double-dare you." Dean chuckled, Blaire shushing them sharply as she heard noises coming from a cabinet.

The brothers got their weapons ready and moved towards their sister who pulled open the cabinet to reveal a rat scurrying out. She gagged and turned away, Dean shuddering while Sam just looked grossed out.

"Ugh, I hate rats." Dean complained, Blaire nodding in agreement.

"You'd rather it was a ghost?" Sam asked, Dean answering with a simple 'Yes'.

They looked at their sister who was wide-eyed, turning to see the ghost of Mordechai standing behind them with an axe in his hand, glaring at Blaire. Sam shoots a round of rock salt and the ghost disappeared.

"What the hell kind of spirit is immune to rock salt?" Sam asked, Dean and Blaire shaking their heads.

"I don't know." Dean breathed, "Come on, come on, come on."

Mordechai reappeared, moving between the shelves before lunging at Blaire who held up her gun, blocking the axe's movement.

"Get out of here!" She yelled, gasping and struggling against the spirit, "GO!"

Sam fired some rock salt and grabbed Blaire's hand, the three of them running from the house with Mordechai in hot pursuit.

* * *

After more research the next morning and finding out that Satanism and torture are involved with the legend, Sam, Dean and Blaire all headed back to see Craig at the record store. Upon their entering, Craig sighed and shook his head.

"Guys, I'm really not in the mood to answer anymore of your questions, okay?"

"Oh, don't worry, we're just here to buy an album, that's all." Dean said, Craig turning away while Dean flicked through some before finally picking one.

"You know, I couldn't figure out what that symbol was, and then I realized," Dean began as he, Sam and Blaire walked towards the counter, "It doesn't mean anything. It's a logo for Blue Oyster Cult."

Craig turned and looked guiltily at the family.

"So, tell me, Craig…are you into BOC?" Dean asked, "Or just scaring the hell outta people?"

Dean passed him the album and he flipped it over, seeing the symbol. Blaire stepped forward, a gleam in her eye as she leaned close Craig.

"So, why don't you tell us about that house without lying through your ass this time." She said, Craig sighing in response.

"All right, um…my cousin, Dana, was on break from TCU, and I guess we were just bored, lookin' for something to do, so I showed her this abandoned dump I found." Craig began, "We thought it'd be funny if we made it look like it was haunted. So, we painted symbols on the walls…some from some albums, and some from some of Dana's theology textbooks. And then we found out this guy Murdoch used to live there, so we made up some story to go along with that."

He took a deep breath as if trying to avoid tears.

"So, they told people, who told other people, and then these two guys put it on their stupid website. Everything just took on a life of its own. I mean, I thought it was funny at first, but…now that girl's dead." He said, beginning to cry, "It was just a joke, you know, I mean…none of it was real, we made the whole thing up, I swear."

"Alright." Blaire said softly, the three of them turning to leave before Dean beckoned his siblings closer.

"If none of it was real, then how the hell do you explain Mordechai?"

-TBC-

* * *

**Love this so far? Hate this so far? Anything in between? I'd love to know! Thanks for reading so far! xxx **


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Five**

Dean crept into the motel room, bag of itching powder in his hand. Blaire, dressed in her favourite jeans and a sweater, looked up and saw the bag, gasping as she tied her hair in a ponytail.

"You can't do that!" She whispered, Dean flapping a hand at her in annoyance as he went to put some on Sam's clothes.

"I'm gonna get him back for the loud music incident." Dean breathed, pouring some of the powder onto Sam's clothes. Blaire bit back a laugh and turned her attention to her book, unable to contain her giggles when Sam entered the room.

"What's with you?" He asked, Blaire shaking her head.

"Nothin'. Just thinking of those two idiots who called us amateurs."

The thoughts entered her head and she started to laugh harder, laughing even more when Sam went to get his itching-powder-coated clothes.

"So, I think I might have a theory about what's going on." Sam began, trying to ignore his sister's laughter.

"Oh, yeah?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Sam replied, "What if Mordechai is a tulpa?"

Blaire's laughter stopped and she looked up, the realisation suddenly hitting her.

"A tulpa?" Dean asked, Blaire gasping in response.

"Of course!" Blaire breathed, "Throw your clothes on, Sammy-Boy. I'm hungry and I want me some pie."

* * *

In a local diner, Sam, Dean and Blaire got their food, Sam shifting uncomfortably as though trying to suppress an itch. Dean smirked while Blaire bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

"Hey, what's your problem?" He asked, as they moved to a table.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Sam replied, trying not to shift again.

"Yeah?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Sam replied, a little annoyed this time.

"Alright, so, keep going," Blaire said, "What about these tulpas?"

"Okay, uh, so there was this incident in Tibet in 1915. A group of monks visualised a golem in their heads." Sam began, Dean and Blaire listening intently, "They meditate on it so hard, they bring the thing to life…out of thin air."

Dean and Blaire raised eyebrows.

"So?" Dean asked.

"That was twenty monks. Imagine what ten thousand web surfers could do." Sam breathed, Dean and Blaire sharing looks before leaning a little closer, "I mean, Craig starts a story about Mordechai, and it spreads, goes online. Now there are countless people all believing in the bastard."

"Okay, wait a second." Dean began, "You're trying to tell us that just because people believe in Mordechai, he's real?"

Sam shifted uncomfortably again and Blaire had to hide her amusement as much as possible.

"I don't know, maybe." Sam replied.

"People believe in Santa Claus." Dean huffed, "How come I'm not getting hooked up every Christmas?"

"'Cause you're a bad person." Sam said, Blaire chuckling in response as Sam typed something into the computer, "And because of this."

He turned the laptop around to show his siblings what he'd found.

"That's a Tibetan spirit sigil on the wall of the house. Craig said they were painting symbols from a theology textbook." Sam explained, "I bet you they painted this not even knowing what it was."

Dean and Blaire sighed.

"Now, that sigil has been used for centuries…concentrating meditative thoughts like a magnifying glass." Sam said, Blaire picking up his idea.

"So, people are on the Hell Hounds' website, staring at the symbol, thinking about Mordechai?" She asked, Sam nodding.

"I mean, I don't know. But it might be enough to bring a tulpa to life."

"It would explain why he keeps changing." Dean said.

"Right. As the legend changes, people think different things, so Mordechai himself changes, like a game of telephone." Sam replied.

"That would also explain why the rock salt didn't work." Blaire said, taking a sip of her water.

At least she wasn't drinking whiskey at this time of day.

"Yeah, 'cause he's not a traditional spirit, per se." Dean added, trying not to laugh as Sam scratched himself.

"Yeah."

"Okay, so, uh, why don't we just get this spirit sigil thingy off the wall and off the website?" Dean asked.

"Ah…about that…" Blaire began, dropping a stack of papers on the table.

"Where the hell did you get all that from?" Dean asked, Blaire giving him a displeased look before taking another sip of water.

"I have the time to research okay. I don't go sticking my tongue down other people's throats all night." She barked, Sam chuckling in response.

"Bitch." Dean mumbled.

"Jerk." Sam replied.

"It's not as simple as to just get the sigil off the wall." Blaire revealed, "You see, once tulpas are created, they take on a life of their own."

"Great." Dean sighed, "Alright, so, if he really is a thought form, how the hell are we supposed to kill an idea?"

"Well, it's not gonna be easy with these guys helping us. Check out their homepage." Sam said, showing Dean and Blaire a video on the homepage of the night before, "Since they posted the video, the number of hits have quadrupled in the last day alone."

"Huh." Dean began, "I got an idea. Come on."

Sam and Blaire gathered their things up and looked to their older brother.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked.

"I gotta find a copy store." Dean said.

"Man, I think I'm allergic to our soap or something." Sam huffed, scratching himself while Dean and Blaire burst into laughter, "You did this?"

Blaire laughed harder and pointed to Dean, Sam displaying bitchface#12 before hissing.

"You're a frigging jerk."

* * *

Blaire took a swig of whiskey and sighed, looking at the photograph of the final scan she had. She'd had one a mere week before the baby was killed and she could make out the toes and the nose was starting to form too. A mere few weeks later, she could've found out if she was having a baby boy or a baby girl. A tear slid down her cheek and she kissed the photo, not realising Dean was in the room.

"Blaire?"

Blaire jumped and dropped the picture, Dean picking it up and passing it to his sister.

"Stop torturing yourself over this, sweetheart…" He said softly, "It's not fair, and I need your head fully in gear for tonight, okay?"

"Yes, Dean." She replied, Dean kissing her head gently and taking the pictures from her, "No, wait!"

Dean turned and Blaire took the photos, curling up on the bed and stroking the shape of the baby, kissing each one before passing them to Dean.

"Be careful with them." She whispered, Dean sighing and shaking his head as he put them safely in the back of her diary, being careful not to read any notes she'd put in it.

"Come on, shrimp." He said with a chuckle, "Get ready. We leave in an hour."

Wiping her eyes, Blaire sat up and sniffled, wishing that she could just have one hug from her brother right now.

* * *

"I barely have any skin left on my palm." Dean huffed as he and his siblings entered the house, guns and flashlights at the ready.

They'd spoken with Ed and Harry not so long ago, getting them to change the legend on their website in order to try and play Mordechai's appearances to the Winchesters' advantage.

"I'm not touching that line with a ten-foot pole." Sam said, Blaire looking completely grossed out.

"You guys are so disgusting…" She breathed, shuddering at the horrible images Dean had unintentionally implanted in her brain, "Oh God…I'm gonna go blind…I swear…"

Dean chuckled and both he and Sam continued to look around.

"So, you think old Mordechai's home?" Dean asked, Sam and Blaire shrugging.

Blaire looked around as she heard shuffling, trying to decide what the noise was beneath her brother's talking.

"I don't know…" Sam replied, all three of them jumping at the sound from behind them…

-TBC-


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Six**

The voice startled all three Winchesters and they spun, aiming their guns at none other than Ed and Harry, who screamed in shock.

"Whoa, whoa! Hey!" Ed cried, Blaire growling and trying to calm herself after that shock.

"What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?" She asked, looking in disbelief at the men before her.

"We're just trying to get a book and movie deal, okay?" Ed breathed, turning with the others at the sounds of knives sharpening behind the door, "Oh, crap. Uh, guys, you wanna go open that door for us?"

Blaire huffed while Dean glared.

"Why don't you?"

That's when the door burst open and Mordechai stormed through, Sam, Dean and Blaire all shooting him with rock salt which made him disappear. The three of them left the room to go and look around, Ed and Harry left completely dumbfounded.

"Oh, he's gone." Ed breathed, "He's gone."

"Did you get him?" Harry asked, Ed smiling slightly in disbelief.

"Oh, yeah, they got him."

"No, on camera," Harry breathed, "Did you get him on camera?"

"Uh, I…" Ed began, Harry taking the camera and huffing.

That's when Mordechai appeared, destroying the camera with his axe. Harry fell to the floor, Mordechai disappearing again while the Winchesters ran back into the room.

"Hey!" Dean began, "Didn't you guys post that BS story we gave you?"

"Of course we did." Ed replied.

"Yeah, but then our server crashed." Harry revealed, the Winchesters sighing.

"So, it didn't take?" Blaire asked, earning a shake of the head from Ed and Harry.

"So, these guns don't work?" Dean asked, earning another shake of the head, "Great. Guys, any ideas?"

His siblings looked purely and simply pissed, and that's when the crunch came.

"We are getting out of here." Harry said, Blaire using all her strength and will to not go and rag the guy to the floor by his hair.

"Yeah." Ed agreed.

"Come on, Ed." Harry said, grabbing Ed's arm and dragging him to the front door.

That's when Mordechai appeared again and both men screamed, running for another door that was locked before they leaned against the door.

"Mary and Joseph."

"The power of Christ compels you." Ed cried, "The power of Christ compels you!"

Both men turned as Blaire burst through a locked door.

"Hey!" She yelled, Mordechai turning to look at her, "Come and get it, you ugly son of a bitch."

Mordechai swung his axe at her and she ducked, causing the axe to hit the wall. The spirit swung again, pinning Blaire against the wall with the axe and choking her.

"Get out of here!" She yelled at Ed and Harry, "GO!"

The two men ran away and Blaire began to wonder where her brothers were.

"DEAN!"

Dean and Sam ran in, setting an aerosol can on fire before running to pick Blaire up who'd fallen to the floor.

"Go, go, go! Come on." Dean yelled, "Look, if Mordechai can't leave the house, and we can't kill him, we improvise."

The family ran out of the house, heading for the bushes as they watched the house burst into flame. Dean was checking Blaire's neck for bruising, panicking for his baby sister while Sam was looking back at the house.

"That's the solution? Burn the whole damn place to the ground?"

"Well, no one will go in anymore. I mean, look, Mordechai can't haunt a house if there's no house to haunt." Dean panted, "It's fast and dirty, but it works."

"But, what if the legend changes again, and Mordechai _is_ allowed to leave the house?" Sam asked.

"Well, then, we'll just have to come back." Dean said, both of them falling silent while Blaire rested against Dean for support, still trying to be able to breathe again.

"Kind of makes you wonder," Sam began, "Of all the things we've hunted, how many existed just 'cause people believed in them…"

Dean stood looking thoughtful as the three of them watched the house burn.

* * *

"Yeah, you probably missed somethin', that's why."

Blaire sighed and rubbed her forehead, chuckling at her brothers' petty squabbling.

"Dude, I ran LexisNexis, local police reports, newspapers…I couldn't find a single red flag." Sam argued, "Are you sure you got the coordinates right?"

"Yeah, I double-checked. It's Fitchburg, Wisconsin." Dean sighed, "Look, Dad wouldn't have sent us coordinates if it wasn't important, Sammy."

"Well, I'm telling you, I looked, and all I could find was a big, steaming pile of nothing." Sam replied, "If Dad's sending us hunting for something, I don't know what."

"Well, maybe he's gonna meet us there." Dean suggested, Blaire not prepared for what came next.

"Yeah, 'cause he's been so easy to find up to this point."

"Shut up." Blaire snapped, turning away with a stiff jaw and looking out of the window, "He's been dealing with important stuff, okay? Leave him alone, huh?"

"Leave him alone?" Sam asked, "Blaire, we took forever to find him and when we finally found the pair of you, he left again, and then we find out he killed your baby? I won't fucking leave him alone."

"Sam, quit it." Dean said, noticing the tears in Blaire's eyes, "Don't worry, I'm sure there's something in Fitchburg worth killing."

* * *

On arrival in Fitchburg, Dean and Sam climbed out of the car, Blaire staying in the back with tears streaming down her face.

"You insensitive asshole." Dean growled as they headed to go and get some coffee.

"What?" Sam asked, Dean glaring at him before answering.

"Don't ever bring up her baby around her again, okay?" Dean hissed, "She's having a hard time dealing with it on her own as it is without you adding insult to injury, okay? We need her to have a clear head, Sam."

"Yeah, but maybe she's a little fucked up still about what Dad did to her, Dean," Sam breathed, "You know, as most people would be. I'm gonna kill him when we find him again."

"Shut up." Dean snarled, "Leave it alone and leave Blaire alone, okay?"

Sam just did as he was asked.

"Sorry, Dean."

Dean closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head.

"No, it's okay, Sam." Dean replied, "Just be careful around her, dude."

Sam nodded and decided to wait by the car.

Sam wasn't going to leave it alone when John showed his face again though. He couldn't leave that alone, knowing his sister had been hurt in such ways. But for Blaire, he'd keep quiet for now. He opened the back door of the Impala and knelt down to be met with his sister's teary eyes.

"Sorry, Blaire…" He whispered, "I wasn't thinking."

"No, that's okay." Blaire replied, trembling as a tear slid down her face, "Do you want to see your nephew or niece, Sam?"

Sam was wary of what Blaire was doing but he nodded, seeing her reach into her purse and grab her diary, pulling out the pictures in the back.

"I don't know if it's a boy or a girl…so I've called it Ashley." She said sweetly, "See it's nose look…and it's fingers and toes."

Sam smiled and looked at the pictures.

"You've kept these still?" He asked, earning an incredibly sad nod from his sister.

"Yes. I had to keep some memory of my baby."

Sam leaned forward and hugged Blaire tight, kissing her cheek and rocking her in his arms.

"Okay, I'm not a chick." She laughed, Sam chuckling and kissing her again before passing her back the photos.

He took her small hands in his own and made her look into his eyes.

"Blaire, whatever you do, never ever let those pictures go." Sam told her, "Don't ever let them go."

Blaire nodded and put them safely in her diary, placing the diary back in the purse as Sam closed the car door, waiting by the Impala for Dean returning with the coffees.

He hoped and prayed that there was a case here for them to do, and he smiled as he saw his brother heading towards him, a tray of three coffees in his hands.

-TBC-


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**A/N: **This chapter may seem a little shorter, but I hope the ending's as scary as I wanted it to be. ENJOY! xxxxxxxxxx

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Seven**

Blaire slipped on that familiar suit, the black pants feeling a little bigger on her than last time. Maybe she'd lost weight since the last time she wore them. Well…the last time she'd worn them was when she was three months pregnant so she'd definitely lost weight since the last time she wore them. She left an extra button of the white blouse undone, her jacket making her look extra smart before she checked her badge, smiling when everything was in order before sliding her dainty feet into the black high heeled shoes. She took a long hairpin and gracefully pinned the long locks up, putting on a bit of make-up, just a hint of mascara and lip gloss. Leaving the bathroom she was met with her brothers who smiled at her and warmth filled Dean's eyes.

"You ready?" She asked, her brothers nodding in response.

"You should wear make-up more often." Dean said, "Makes you look even more gorgeous."

Blaire, unused to such compliments, simply blushed and chuckled.

"Dean…" She warned, trying to hide the fact that she'd gone bright red.

* * *

"Dude, dude, I am not using this ID." Sam hissed as he, Dean and Blaire walked through the hospital corridors.

"Why not?" Dean asked, Sam trying not to explode.

"Because it says 'bikini inspector' on it!" The youngest Winchester hissed, Dean and Blaire laughing in response.

"Don't worry, she won't look that close. Hell, she won't even ask to see it." Dean assured him, "It's all about confidence, Sam."

Sam turned towards the front desk to speak to the receptionist.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Kaplan," Sam lied, "Centre for Disease Control."

"Can I see some ID?" The receptionist asked, Blaire and Dean watching from a distance and trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, of course." Sam replied, quickly showing the receptionist while trying not to flush with embarrassment, "Now, could you direct me to the paediatrics ward, please?"

"Okay, just go down that hall, turn left, and up the stairs." The receptionist said, Sam beckoning Dean and Blaire to follow him.

"See? I told you it'd work." Dean chuckled, Sam shaking his head as they headed upstairs.

They found the doctor they were searching for, Dean spotting an old woman with an inverted cross on her wall who the coldest stare he'd ever seen in his life. They finally found the man they were searching for, Dr. Hydecker.

"Well, thanks for seeing us, Dr. Hydecker." Dean began, the doctor smiling weakly.

"Oh, I'm glad you guys are here, I was just about to call the CDC myself." Hydecker replied, "How'd you find out, anyway?"

"Oh, some GP, I forget his name, he called Atlanta," Dean answered, "And, uh, must have beat you to the punch."

"So, you say you got six cases so far?" Blaire asked, looking to the doctor.

"Yeah, in five weeks." Hydecker replied, all of them turning to look at a young boy in a coma.

Blaire's heart broke for the poor child, that poor sick child who lay in the bed within their sights.

"At first, we thought it was garden-variety bacterial pneumonia…" Hydecker revealed, "Not that newsworthy. But now…"

"Now what?" Sam asked.

The doctor sighed and looked at the boy, hope faded from his eyes.

"The kids aren't responding to antibiotics. Their white cell counts keep going down." He breathed, "Their immune systems just aren't doing their job. It's like their bodies are wearing out."

Blaire's heart bled for each child who was suffering with whatever was happening to them. A nurse came forward, handing the doctor a clipboard which he signed as he spoke to the Winchesters.

"You ever see anything like this before?" Blaire asked, the doctor sighing and shaking his head.

"Never this severe."

"The way it spreads…that's a new one for me…" The nurse breathed, Sam looking confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"It works its way through families," the nurse explained, "But only the children…one sibling after another."

"Do you mind if we interview a few of the kids?" Dean asked.

"They're not conscious." The nurse replied.

Blaire gasped and tried to hide her shock at the comment.

"None of them?" She asked, the nurse sighing and shaking her head in response.

"Can we, uh…can we talk to the parents?" Dean asked.

"If you think it'll help." Hydecker replied, Dean humming and nodding.

"Who was your most recent admission?"

* * *

After a talk with one of the parents who revealed the possible opening of a closed window, Dean, Sam and Blaire left the hospital, the sound of babies crying and the sights of mothers with their children growing harder for Blaire to be around.

"You know, this might not be anything supernatural." Sam said softly, "It might just be pneumonia."

"Maybe." Dean replied, "Or maybe something opened that window."

Sam sighed and Blaire did, trying not to look at the mothers sat by their children's bedsides.

"I don't know, man, look, Dad sent us down here for a reason." Dean continued, "I think we might be barking up the right tree."

"I'll tell you one thing." Sam began.

"What?" Dean asked.

"That guy we just talked to?" Sam continued, "I'm betting it'll be a while before he goes home."

The family exchanged knowing looks and left the hospital, much to Blaire's relief.

* * *

"So, what the hell is a shtriga?" Sam asked as he, Blaire and Dean climbed out of the Impala outside a motel.

"It's kind of like a witch, I think." Dean replied, "I don't know much about 'em."

As her brothers talked, Blaire stood and thought, remembering the sounds of those mothers talking to their children. She remembered the cries of babies being hushed by their mothers' gentle voices and it all grew too much, but that's when she got a sharp, biting pain in her stomach where John had stabbed her, feeling white hot pain as her legs gave way beneath her. She lay on the ground, seeing flashes of yellow eyes over and over again.

"Blaire?" Dean asked, "Blaire!"

He raced to his sister's side and lifted her up, Sam taking her hand as the girl started to shake.

"That demon…yellow eyes…" Blaire breathed, pressing against her younger brother, "Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow…"

She gasped the name of that colour until she could barely breathe and she rested against Sam who lifted her into the Impala while Dean booked them a room.

"Yellow eyes, yellow eyes, demon, demon, yellow eyes…" Blaire whispered, repeating those words over like a chant.

Sam didn't know what to do, and the sweat beginning to shine on his sister's forehead wasn't a good sign. He pulled her close, holding her to his body to stop her shaking. Then he felt something wet against his stomach and looked down to see blood, but it wasn't his own. Luckily, Dean was on his way back and Sam cried out for him, Dean racing back.

"She's bleeding…"

Dean lifted Blaire's shirt up to find her long closed scar open and bleeding yellow and black blood.

"Fuck…" He breathed, "Get the bags, Sam."

Dean gave Sam the key and took his baby sister, holding her close and kissing her head.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, six, six, six, six," Blaire chanted, "Six, six, six, yellow eyes, yellow eyes, demon, demon, six, six, six…"

The brothers looked frankly terrified and Dean carried Blaire inside before setting her on the nearest bed.

"Yellow…" Blaire called in a sing-song voice, "Yellow…"

"Call Dad." Dean told his brother, Sam immediately flipping open his cell phone.

Sam reached the voicemail of his father and hung up.

"Shit!" He cried, locking the door and closing the drapes, "Dean, what do we do?"

"Stop the bleeding for a start."

"There is someone…walking behind you…" Blaire sang, pupils retracting until they were mere dots in her beautiful green eyes, "Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow…"

Sam and Dean worked on the wound, both jumping as Blaire suddenly screamed, eyes rolling into the back of her head to reveal nothing but the white eyeball, her entire body suddenly going completely limp…

-TBC-


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Eight**

Sam looked worriedly at his sister as she lay so still but so limp. She still had a pulse, and the bleeding had stopped, the wound not even showing any signs of being opened.

"Dad…" Dean began as he spoke to his father's voicemail, "Something just happened to Blaire and it was weird even for us…you need to call me, please…"

He hung up and sat by the side of the bed, jumping and moving forward and Blaire's eyes fluttered.

"Guys?" She asked weakly, sitting up and staring at her brothers, "What are you doing?"

The brothers were about to explain before Blaire sighed.

"Watching people sleep's creepy." She said, "Really creepy."

"Blaire…do you remember what just happened?" Sam asked.

"Yeah…I fell asleep in the Impala…" Blaire replied, looking as though she thought her brothers were going crazy, "Don't you remember?"

Sam and Dean looked to each other, about to say something before Blaire huffed out a laugh.

"Guys…what's going on?"

"Um…nothing…" Dean replied with a smile, "Nothing, it's okay. You'd better get showered so we can discuss this case."

"Okay." Blaire replied, grabbing some clothes from her bag before heading for the bathroom.

The door closed and Sam turned to Dean with wide eyes.

"She doesn't remember…" He breathed, "Oh dear God, she doesn't remember!"

"Sam, calm down, okay?" Dean began, "Maybe we should just leave it…"

"What, so it can happen again?" Sam asked, "No way!"

"Sam…"

"No, Dean…!" Sam hissed, "I'm not leaving her to have that happen again, okay? We'll just tell her what happened, she might remember something."

* * *

It transpired that Blaire didn't remember a thing. She sat on her bed, panicking and crying as Sam told her what had happened. She didn't remember saying all those things, that colour, that number or that name. She didn't remember any of it, and the fact that her brothers had seen it and even stopped her closed scar from bleeding just frightened her even more.

"Dean…" She whispered, completely frightened, "Did…is this true?"

Dean nodded and she clapped a hand over her mouth, breaking into frightened sobs as Dean pulled her close. He and Sam had been terrified through that whole ordeal and now she knew, Blaire was horrified herself.

"It's gonna be okay…" Dean said, trying to calm her, "You'll be okay…"

Blaire rested against her brother, sighing and wiping her eyes as he kissed her temple. She didn't even remember getting out the Impala, never mind letting out a string of words related to the demon they were hunting. She looked to her hands and Dean laid her back on the mattress.

"Get some sleep, Blaire." He said, letting her pull the covers over herself.

She reached out with a quaking hand, winding her fingers around his wrist.

"Dean…?" She asked, "What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know." Dean replied, completely honestly, "I don't know, honey."

Blaire just nodded and closed her eyes, getting comfortable before drifting into sleep. Dean felt his phone vibrating and he smiled when he saw the name on the caller ID.

"Dad…" He breathed as he answered; heading out of the room so his sister wouldn't hear the conversation, "Listen…um…something happened to Blaire…"

_"What, Dean?" _John asked, _"What happened to her?"_

"She went…weird…" Dean whispered, "Like…she was mumbling things to do with the yellow-eyed demon…"

_"Like what?"_ John asked, _"I need details, Dean."_

"She…she started saying 'yellow', 'yellow eyes', 'demon', and then she counted up to six and kept repeating six over and over again…"

_"And? What happened after?"_ John asked, now sounding panicked for his daughter's safety.

"There was blood coming from her stomach…" Dean said, hearing John go quiet on the other end of the line, "Do you wanna explain to me where that scar came from?"

_"It was a hunting accident."_ John lied, Dean sighing and shaking his head.

"Don't you dare lie to me. She told us what happened." Dean hissed, "Why'd you do it, Dad?"

_"Look, if she'd had that baby, it would've grown up and probably killed the both of us."_ John said, Dean huffing in response.

"No. It's because you didn't want a pregnant woman and a baby slowing you down."

John hung up.

* * *

"Well, you were right. It wasn't very easy to find, but you were right." Sam began, Dean and Blaire looking up at their baby brother as he revealed some new information to them, "A shtriga _is_ a kind of witch. They're Albanian, but legends about 'em date back to ancient Rome. They feed off of spiritus vitae."

"Spiri-what?" Dean asked, having never heard of the stuff before.

"Vitae. It's Latin…it translates to 'breath of life'." Sam explained, "Kind of like your life force or essence."

Dean and Blaire shared looks before sitting forward a little and listening intently, Blaire sat cleaning her guns.

"Didn't the doctor say the kids' bodies were wearing out?" She asked, Sam sighing in response.

"It's a thought. You know, she takes your vitality, maybe your immunity goes to hell, pneumonia takes hold." Sam replied, "Anyway, shtrigas can feed off anyone, but they prefer…"

"Children." Blaire breathed, shaking her head and putting a hand to her stomach as she felt a twinge.

"Blaire?" Dean asked, staring at his sister just in case anything happened again.

Blaire grabbed a pillow and placed it on her stomach, curling her knees to her chest and rocking a little.

"Just cramps…" She told her brother, "I'm okay."

She smiled softly and Dean nodded, not believing a word of it.

"Children…" Dean repeated, trying to get the conversation started up again.

"Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life force." Sam replied, "And get this…shtrigas are invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man."

"No. That's not right." Dean said, "She's vulnerable when she feeds."

Blaire looked down and closed her eyes, not wanting to remember how Dean knew that.

"What?" Sam asked.

"If you catch her when she's eating, you can blast her with consecrated wrought irons, buckshots, or rounds, I think." Dean replied, Sam looking at him with confusion while Blaire just continued to clean her guns, trying to ignore the conversation for now.

"How do you know that?" Sam asked, Dean answering quicker than Sam and Blaire thought.

"Dad told me." He said, "I remember."

"Oh. So, uh, anything else Dad might have mentioned?" Sam asked, Dean shaking his head.

"No. That's it." He replied, noticing Sam was staring at him, "What?"

"Nothin'. Okay, so, assuming we _can_ kill it when it eats, we still gotta find the thing first, which ain't gonna be a cakewalk." Sam said, "Shtrigas take on a human disguise when they're not hunting."

"What kind of human disguise?" Dean asked.

"Historically, something innocuous…it could be anything. But it's usually a feeble old woman," Sam answered, "Which may be how the whole witches-as-old-crones legend got started."

Dean took a map out of his bag and had a look, realising something he thought he should've known from the beginning.

"Hang on." He said, the others looking up.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Check this out." Dean replied, Sam and Blaire coming over to look, the brothers still concerned about the way she was limping and hunched over, "I marked down all the addresses of the victims. Now, these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead centre?"

"The hospital." Blaire said, taking a deep breath and hunching over again.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Dean asked, pulling out a chair, "Sit down…"

"Nothing, Dean." Blaire said, "It's just cramps."

"Right, about the hospital," Dean began, "When we were there, I saw a patient…an old woman."

"An old person, huh?" Sam asked, Dean nodding in response, "In the hospital? Whew. Better call the coast guard."

He laughed and Blaire smiled, putting a hand to her stomach again.

"Well, listen, smartass, she had an inverted cross hangin' on her wall." Dean replied, Sam and Blaire's smiles dropping in response.

* * *

Dean and Sam had just come back from the hospital where Dean had endured a frightening encounter with the suspected old woman and both boys had spotted Michael, the motel owner's oldest boy sat on a bench crying. Blaire had seen him too, and she looked to her brothers before making her way over to him and crouching down.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, feeling her heart break as she saw his tears.

"My brother's sick." Michael sobbed, Blaire grimacing at the poor child.

"The little guy?" Blaire asked again, Michael nodding in response.

"Pneumonia. He's in the hospital." He said quietly, "It's my fault."

"Oh, come on, how?" Blaire asked.

"I should've made sure the window was latched." Michael cried, "He wouldn't have gotten pneumonia if the window was latched."

Blaire listened sadly and Dean came over, also crouching by Michael.

"Listen to me." He began, "I can promise you that this is not your fault, okay?"

"It's my job to look after him." Michael sniffled, both Dean and Blaire nodding in understanding.

They knew what it was like to have to look after a younger sibling, and Dean had looked after two little siblings, a toddler and a baby, watching them both as they grew. He'd been there for Dean for all the things her mother and father should've been. He was there for her when she had her first period, when she'd had her first time and the guy had left her straight after, when she'd being laying dying in a ditch on a regular ghost hunt. He'd held her so tightly that night; rocked her in his arms until their father arrived. She'd still gotten the scars from where the ghost had thrown a long sharp piece of wood through her side. He'd laid there, dirty, beaten and exhausted, holding his baby sister close and whispering soft assurances and words of love to her. So, yeah, he understood what it was like to be a big brother.

The motel room's owner, Joanna, emerged with blankets and pillows in hand, heading towards her car.

"Michael." She began as she put the items in the passenger side of her car, "I want you to turn on the 'No Vacancy' sign while I'm gone. I've got Denise covering room service, so don't bother with any of the rooms."

"I'm going with you." Michael said, desperate to see his baby brother, the brothers and Blaire moving with him towards his mother.

"Not now, Michael." Joanna sighed, the poor woman clearly broken by the sudden illness of her little boy.

"But I gotta see Asher!" Michael cried, Dean kneeling before him.

"Hey, Michael. Hey, I know how you feel, okay?" He said softly, "I'm a big brother, too. But you gotta go easy on your mom right now, okay?"

Michael nodded in response and Joanna shut the car door, trembling hands dropping her purse.

"Damnit!" She yelled, running a shaking hand through her hair.

"I got it." Sam said, bending down and picking the purse up, "Here."

"Thanks." Joanna said softly, Dean suddenly thinking of the least he could do.

"Hey, listen, you're in no condition to drive." He began, "Why don't you let me give you a lift to the hospital, huh?"

"No, I couldn't possibly…" Joanna breathed, Dean smiling at her gently.

"No, it's no trouble." He said, "I insist."

Joanna thought for a moment before nodding and handing him the keys.

"Thanks." She said sweetly, kissing Michael's forehead gently, "Be good."

She climbed in the car and Dean closed the door for her, leaning closer to Sam and Blaire.

"We're gonna kill this thing." He began, "I want it dead, you hear me?"

With that, he walked away, Blaire trying to shut out memories of her childhood while Sam just nodded. Michael looked up at Blaire who put a comforting hand on his shoulder and stroked his back soothingly.

They had no option but to kill it. The problem was that they had to find the damn thing.

-TBC-


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Nine**

Blaire and Sam sat in the youngest Winchester's third home, the library and at his second home, a computer. They were researching anything to do with the shtriga, lore, the history of cases and even possible eyewitness accounts.

"How are you doing, Sam?" Blaire asked, "About Jess, I mean."

Sam hung his head and sighed, Blaire biting her lip and grimacing.

"I'm sorry…"

"No, Blaire, it's fine," Sam whispered, "I'm finding it kinda hard, but as long as we kill this demon…I'll be okay…really…"

Blaire nodded and took Sam's hand, kissing his cheek and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Love you, baby bro."

"Love you too."

* * *

"We should have thought of this before." Sam breathed as he, Dean and Blaire stood in their motel room, "A doctor's a perfect disguise. You're trusted, you can control the whole thing."

"Huh." Dean huffed, "That son of a bitch."

"I'm surprised you didn't draw on him right there." Sam breathed.

"Yeah, well, first of all, I'm not gonna open fire in a freakin' paediatrics ward." Dean breathed, Blaire smiling proudly at his common sense.

"Good call." She said, Dean grinning in response.

"Second, it wouldn't have done any good because the bastard's bulletproof unless he's chowing down on something." Dean continued, his siblings smiling proudly, "And third, I wasn't packing, which is probably a really good thing 'cause I probably would've just burned a clip in him off of principle alone."

"Getting wise in your old age, Dean." Sam laughed, Blaire chuckling in agreement.

"Damn right." Dean replied, "So now I know how we're gonna get it."

"What do you mean?" Blaire asked.

"This shtriga," Dean began, "It works through siblings, right?"

"Right." Sam said.

"Well, last night…"

Blaire gasped and clutched her stomach, Dean and Sam turning to look at her with concern on their faces.

"Blaire…?" Dean breathed, grabbing his sister as her legs buckled.

"That demon…" She whimpered, "Yellow eyes…Oh God…"

She clutched her stomach and her head, Sam moving closer to look at his sister who was now sweating profusely.

"Blaire…come on…" Sam whispered, jumping when his sister's eyes turned yellow, then black and then yellow again.

"Boys, boys, boys," She tutted, "Your daddy's sure a smart one but he ain't gonna catch me…I'll tell you that for sure."

"Get out of our sister." Dean breathed, "And you've just handed yourself to us, you stupid son of a bitch."

Blaire's head tipped back and black smoke shot out of her mouth, eyes returning to normal before she slumped against Dean and Sam, Dean lifting her up and laying her on the bed.

"Blaire…" He asked, tapping her face lightly, "Blaire!"

"He was in me…" She mumbled, "He was in me, Dean…"

Dean nodded and kissed her head, stroking his hand over her head to calm her.

"I know, Blaire, I know he was."

"He's gonna get dad…" She breathed, "Gonna get dad…"

"Dad's okay, Blaire." Sam promised, "He's alright."

"Dad's gonna die…" She whispered, "He's gonna die, Sammy…and none of us can stop it."

"What?" Dean asked, Blaire finally opening her eyes to meet Dean's.

"Dad's gonna die."

* * *

"She said that you were gonna die." Dean said to his dad's voicemail, "She was possessed by the yellow-eyed demon and woke up telling us that you were gonna get hurt and you were gonna die…"

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Just…just be careful…please…"

With that he rested against the Impala.

"And by the way…she still loves you and still wants to protect you," He growled, "Even after what you did to her, she's so quick to jump to your defence, to protect your honour and to stand up for you…so I hope you're listening good, Dad, because that girl needs you."

He hung up and fought back tears as he went back into the motel room, preparing himself and Sam for the night ahead of them. They took it in turns to just keep an eye on Blaire and make sure she was okay while they got ready to kill the shtriga. Sam sat and watched the girl he'd grown up with, the one who'd helped Dean care for him and who'd protected him countless times against their father. He looked at the girl who'd sat in tears for several hours, unbeknownst to him, when he left for Stanford. He watched over the young woman who'd suffered a loss greater than any at the hands of their father, the loss of a child, and despite that baby never getting the chance to be born, Sam knew she was greatly pained by the tragic death of her baby, her baby that didn't even get to see the woman who'd carried it and was willing to raise it. He watched the steady rising and falling of her chest as she breathed in her sleep, sighing and wishing he knew why the demon had possessed her like that and then let her go so suddenly. He needed answers and he wouldn't rest until he found them about himself, Blaire and their family.

Neither would Dean.

* * *

"Alright, so, I think I got something." Sam said as the family sat in a bar, not long after the death of the shtriga in Fitchburg.

The hunt had gone successfully, but Blaire had no idea her brothers had used a child as bait. Had she known that, she'd never have let it happen, but it had and she had no idea. It was probably best for them to keep it that way.

"Oh, yeah. Me, too." Dean chuckled, "I think we need to take a little shore leave for just a little bit. What do you think, huh? I'm so in the door with this one."

Blaire tutted and rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Dean could do so much better than the whore and her friend behind the bar. Dean deserved a woman who could love him, not just fuck him and leave him the next day. Despite his apparent enjoyment of one night stands, she knew her brother, and she also knew he craved someone special. He'd get his special someone, he just hadn't met them yet.

"So, what are we today, Dean?" Sam asked, trying to hide his smile, "Are we rock stars? Are we army rangers?"

"Reality TV scouts looking for people with special skills." Dean replied, everyone chuckling in response, "I mean, hey, it's not that far off, right? By the way, she's got a friend over there. I could probably hook you up, what do you think?"

Blaire looked away and bit her lip, taking a sip of beer and looking to her hands. Sam winced a little at the reaction to Dean's offer. It was kinda unfair on Blaire. The boys got to sleep around or hook up with women whereas Dean always flipped if Blaire met a guy on a hunt.

"Dean, no thanks, I can get my own dates." Sam huffed, patting Blaire's hand quickly, just to let her know that he was there for her.

Sam always did that, provided little signs for her to let her know he was there if she needed to talk, because, honestly, everyone needs to have a talk once in a while. Blaire always got comfort from talking to Sam, which is why it hurt her so much when he left.

"Yeah, you can, but you don't." Dean huffed, winking at Blaire who smiled weakly at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.

"Nothin'." Dean replied, "What have you got?"

"Mark and Anne Telesca of New Paltz, New York were both found dead in their home just a few days ago." Sam answered, Dean raising an eyebrow and taking a sip of beer.

"Mmhmm." Dean replied, turning to stare at the two women behind the bar.

"Throats were slit, there were no prints, no murder weapons," Sam continued, tapping Dean's arm to get his attention, "Dean."

Dean turned to look at him and Blaire took his hand to keep him focussed.

"No prints, no murder weapons, all doors and windows were locked from the inside." She said, shocked at the shrug she received from her brother.

"Could just be a garden-variety murder, you know, not our department." Dean said, Blaire sighing and pulling out John's journal.

"No, Dad says different."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, Sam and Blaire sharing looks, sighing and nodding.

"Look." Sam said, turning the journal for Dean to look at it, "Dad noted three murders in the same area of upstate New York."

Sam sat back and let Blaire take over, giving his sister something to do for once instead of leaving her at the back and without any chance to give any of her own evidence. He felt kinda bad for that; he always had. He smiled as Blaire explained to Dean, pointing to the notes on the page as she did.

"First one, right here, 1912, the second one in 1945, and the third in 1970. The same M.O. as the Telescas, the throats were slit, the houses were locked from the inside." She explained, "Now, so much time passed between the murders that nobody checked the pattern, except for Dad. He always kept his eyes peeled for another one."

"And now we got one." Dean said.

"Exactly." Blaire replied.

"Alright, I'm with you both. It's worth checking out." Dean said with a smile, "We can't pick this up till the first thing, though, right?"

His siblings nodded with confusion and he smiled cheekily, Blaire seeing a familiar glint in his eye she knew so well.

"Good." He breathed, getting up and going back to the bar.

Sam and Blaire laughed as Dean got himself a girl for the night, both of them content to sit and talk together.

-TBC-


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**A/N: **I'd just like to say a special thanks to **_Carver Edlund _**and **_Luckypixi_** for their support through this and all my other stories! You are both so awesome and thanks for having so much faith in my work!

Chapter 10, hope you enjoy! xxxxxxxxxx

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Ten**

"Dad…" Blaire sighed, smiling as she did.

"_You told them about the baby?" _John asked, hurt and disappointment so clear in his voice, _"You _told _them?"_

"I'm so sorry, Dad…I…" Blaire breathed, "They'd have found out soon enough anyway! I'm an appalling liar when it comes to my brothers…and…they would've asked questions when they checked me for bleeding…"

"_Great…and what did you tell them?"_

"The truth, Dad…" Blaire replied, "Look…I know why you did it…I know we would've slowed you down but you could've left us at a motel…I…"

John hung up and Blaire sighed, covering her eyes with her hand as she hung up, breaking into tears. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her father or her brothers, and since they'd met up that's all she seemed to have done. She'd made them angry about the baby, scared them when the demon attacked her and upset her father. Everything was all her fault…but she couldn't let it get her down right now. They had a case to do and their emotional issues would have to go to the back of their heads for now.

She wiped her eyes and sighed shakily, heading into the motel room and pulling out her laptop, smiling at the picture on her background. It was of her, Dean and Sam that had been taken just before Sam left for Stanford. Dean and Sam were kissing her cheeks while she blushed and grinned between them. She looked at her christening ring again kissing it and sighing before closing her eyes.

"I love you, Momma…" She whispered, "I wish you were here…I could use a bit of female guidance…a bit of understanding…"

She chuckled and wiped her eyes.

"I'm trying but men are difficult creatures to live with."

With a gentle sigh, she awaited her brother's return, deciding to write in her diary in the meantime while listening to music on her media player.

* * *

"What was it, the providence?" Dean asked as he, Sam and Blaire sat in their motel room, Blaire still disgusted by the stupid seventies decoration it was coated in.

"Provenance." Sam corrected, Dean looking at Blaire with confusion and trying to pronounce the word silently, "It's a certificate of origin, like a biography, you know? We can use 'em to check the history of the pieces, see if anything's got a freaky past."

"Oooh…I take it you boys have been busy without me." Blaire chuckled, "Find anything interesting?"

"Huh. Well, we're not getting anything out of Chuckles, but, uh, Sarah?" Dean replied, Blaire chuckling and looking at her brothers.

"Oh, Sarah? There's a Sarah?" She asked.

"Yeah. Maybe you can get her to write it all down on a cocktail napkin." Sam said, Dean chuckling in response.

"Not me." Dean said, Blaire and Sam knowing exactly what the older Winchester was implying.

"_Great." _Blaire thought, _"Here comes the whole dating thing…and probably the sex thing…and I'm stuck here like a good little housewife…" _

"Oh, no, no, no, no." Sam breathed, "Pickups are your thing, Dean."

"It wasn't my butt she was checkin' out." Dean replied, Blaire gasping and looking at Sam.

"Oh, Sam!" She said with a cheeky grin, "Getting looks from the ladies are we? It's 'bout time too, honey. I'm happy for you."

"In other words, you guys want me to use her to get information."

"Sometimes, you gotta take one for the team." Dean said with a grin, holding his cell phone out to the youngest Winchester, "Call her."

And this was just the thing that pissed Blaire off so much. If it was her having to go out on a date with a guy, the boys would be incredibly pissed, especially Dean. She could be happier if she was allowed to go out with a guy once in a while, if she could just pretend to be normal and not have to worry about a monster under the bed. When John had handed her that .45 when she was eight, she knew her life would never be the same, and she wondered through the years if it would get any better, but it never did. It was dangerous, frightening and horrible. She was beginning to hate it.

* * *

"What's with you?" Dean asked as Blaire let out a sigh, "You've been acting weird all night…"

"Nothin'." Blaire replied, "Nothin', I'm fine…"

"You're not, sweetheart…" Dean said softly, "You can tell me, you know…I'm not gonna bite your head off or anything."

Blaire took a deep breath and sat up fully, running a shaking hand through her hair.

"I spoke to Dad…"

"Oh my God…" Dean breathed, "What did he say?"

"Asked me why I told you about Ashley…"

"Ashley?" Dean asked, earning an almost child-like response from Blaire.

"My baby." She answered, like it was completely obvious.

"Oh yeah," Dean replied, "Sorry…"

"He hung up on me when I tried to explain that he could've left us at a motel or something…" Blaire whispered sadly, "So…I'm expecting the lecture of a lifetime when we see him again…_if _we see him again."

Dean sighed and looked over at his baby sister, moving over to the bed and winding his arms around her. This was odd. Dean didn't hug…not unless it was incredibly necessary and Blaire found herself being rocked gently in his embrace. She held her brother back and was happy for him to hold her. She felt a tender kiss being pressed to her temple and she sighed, rubbing Dean's back before he let her go. She had no idea tears were falling from her eyes and she sighed shakily, Dean cupping her cheek and wiping her tears away.

"Feel better?" He asked, Blaire nodding and smiling as she hugged Dean again.

"Thank you." She whispered weakly, "I love you, Dean."

"Love you, Blaire."

* * *

"So, she just handed the providences over to you?" Dean asked the next day as he and Blaire sat sharpening knives and cleaning guns, Sam seated researching to his heart's content.

"Provenances." Sam corrected, a slightly annoyed tone to his voice.

"Pro-provenances?" Dean asked, Blaire smiling at her older brother.

"Yes. I went back to her place, I got a copy of the papers." Sam replied, Dean raising his eyebrows.

"And?"

"And nothing, that's it. I left." Sam said, Dean chuckling a little.

"You didn't have to con her or do any special favours or anything?" He asked, Blaire tutting in response.

"Dean, would you get your mind out of the gutter, please?" She asked, Dean laughing out loud at the remark before looking at Sam.

"You know, when this whole thing is done, we could stick around for a little bit." He said, Sam looking up at him.

"Why?"

"So you can take her out again." Dean said, "It's obvious you're into her, even I can see that."

Now, Blaire was really quite pissed. This was unfair. She never got a chance to stay with anyone she was into. She had to pack up and move on the next day. Her longest relationship had been three days, and she'd been left behind to enjoy that before Dean had been sent back to pick her up. Sam, unbeknownst to Blaire, could see his sister was annoyed and upset by Dean's treatment of him so he put a stop to it.

"Hey," He said softly, "I think I got somethin' here."

Dean and Blaire moved over to look at the research, looking curiously as Sam handed them the provenances.

"Portrait of Isaiah Merchant's family painted in 1910." Dean said.

"Now, compare the names of the owners with Dad's journal." Sam said, Blaire and Dean reading carefully.

"First purchased in 1912 to Peter Simms." Blaire read, Sam nodding in response, pointing to the journal.

"Peter Simms murdered in 1912." Dean said, Blaire watching as Dean studied other papers, "Same thing in 1945."

"Huh. Same thing in 1970." Blaire huffed as she read the last name.

"Then stored until it was donated to a charity auction last month, where the Telescas bought it." Sam revealed, "So, what do you think, it's haunted or cursed?"

"Either way, it's toast." Dean replied, Blaire smiling in response and turning to clean her guns.

She might need them tonight.

* * *

"So," Dean began, "Blaire spoke to Dad."

Sam looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow.

"He hung up on her when she tried to explain what he could've done about Ashley."

"I can't believe he let her start showing before he killed the baby." Sam breathed, Dean nodding in agreement.

"She said that if he thought that she and Ashley would slow him down, he could've left them at a motel and then he just hung up." Dean explained, "But she's hurting."

"I can't imagine what she must be going through…" Sam breathed, Dean shaking his head in response.

"Yes, you can." Dean said softly, "You've lost somebody so close to you in a horrible way, Sam."

Sam sighed and looked to the floor.

"If anyone can help her through this, it's probably you."

Sam looked at his brother and stood, smiling weakly as Blaire emerged from the bathroom, evidence of crying clear on her face.

"You okay?"

Blaire nodded weakly and smiled a little, wrapping her arms around her younger brother and kissing his cheek. She wiped her eyes and shook her head, taking a drink of whiskey and pinching the bridge of her nose. They were about to head to the auction house and break in to burn that painting, and she just hoped nothing would go wrong.

-TBC-


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Eleven**

Damp was heavy in the air, as the cold of the night was, but the Winchesters were too busy to notice. Blaire sprinted on her strong legs, trying to get into a decent run before she climbed up the large gate to the auction house and swung herself with athletic excellence over the top, dropping to her feet almost silently which Dean and Sam never understood how she did. Her brothers followed her and they continued to the auction house, Sam dismantling the alarm system expertly as they arrived at the doors.

"Go ahead." Sam puffed, Dean unlocking the door and letting the family inside.

The three of them moved around with flashlights in hand, at first, not noticing the painting as it hung above them.

"See anything?" Blaire asked, her brothers shaking their heads before Dean shone his flashlight up at the second floor.

"There." He said, causing the three of them to sprint up the stairs to the picture.

Dean cut the picture out of its frame and the siblings rushed outside to burn it.

"Ugly-ass thing." Dean breathed, "If you ask me, we're doin' the art world a favour."

With that, he set the picture alight and the family watched it burn.

* * *

A huge shiver ran down Blaire's spine and she shot off the mattress, breathing heavily as she looked around the room. She had the urge to run and be free, the urge to just pack up and leave. Slipping on her beige jacket, she tied her hair up and snuck out of the motel room door, breaking into a run as she headed down the sidewalk. She felt lighter, freer and she felt as though she'd just take off and fly at any moment, but the scenery changed when she saw her mother of all people, bloodied and staring from the ceiling.

There was the sound of a baby crying coming from beside her and she looked down to see Sam as a baby with blood dripping onto his forehead. She looked at her hands, realising that they weren't her own. Her father runs in, screaming in horror as Mary's body sets on fire.

"MOM!" Blaire cried, "MOM!"

That was when Dean in his four year old glory showed up, Sam being thrust into his arms before he was sent outside, Dean heading down the stairs with Sam in his embrace and sprinting from the house. Then came the other crying, that of both her father and herself as she wandered into the nursery.

"Blaire!" John cried, picking his baby girl up and holding her close.

Adult Blaire realised she wasn't in the body of the demon anymore and she followed her father who was carrying her two year old self.

"Mama!" She heard her younger self screaming, "MAMA!"

She turned to look up at the nursery, the demon holding his hand out and her burning mother returning the touch. What in the name of God was going on? She saw John scoop the others up and they ran to the sidewalk, jumping as the house just exploded.

* * *

"BLAIRE!"

Blaire shot out of her vision and fell into the arms of Dean who checked her for injuries and cradled her close.

"Blaire, what happened?"

Tears streamed down her face and she looked helplessly at her brother. Dean searched her eyes for any indication of what had happened to her. Blaire swallowed and pressed against him.

"Nightmare…" She whispered, "Awful dream that's all…"

"Blaire…" Sam breathed, "You've taken a seven block walk, honey…"

The middle Winchester stared at the youngest in disbelief.

"Huh?"

"You've sleepwalked…" Dean said softly, "It's okay…"

Blaire wiped her eyes and began to shiver with the cold of the night air.

"C'mon, sweetheart," Dean breathed, helping her stand along with Sam, "Let's get you back, you're freezing."

Blaire, who was exhausted from the whole ordeal, rested wearily against Sam, her younger brother supporting her as they headed back to the motel room. She didn't tell them about what she'd seen. She didn't want to. She didn't even want to believe what she'd seen so she did what Dean did best, she buried it deep in the back of her mind and forgot about it, kept it locked up and secret from everyone else.

"You okay?" Dean asked, concerned by the way Blaire was trying to steady herself while she sat on the bed.

She shook her head and went really pale, Dean rushing forward and shoving the trash can under her chin and holding her hair back as she vomited a sickly yellow substance into the can. She felt weak, tired and purely and simply ill, and because of this, Dean and Sam decided to make her stay in the room the next morning, just to be on the safe side. Dean watched her as she fell asleep an hour later, covering her with the sheets and stroking a hand over her forehead.

"Dude, she's burning up…" He said, Sam coming over and feeling her head.

"Hey…stop fondling me…" Blaire mumbled, "M'fine…"

"Blaire, you feel like you're on fire, sweetheart." Dean said softly, dampening a washcloth and kneeling by the bed.

He dabbed her forehead gently to see the poor girl's face flushing like she had sunburn.

"She's sick…" Dean said to Sam, "Get the first aid stuff, huh?"

Sam nodded and Dean continued to dab Blaire's forehead, sitting on the bed and lifting her to rest against him a little before wiping the sweat that was starting to pepper her skin.

"Dean…don't feel good…" Blaire whispered, "Feel ill…"

"I know," Dean said softly, "We're gonna take care of you, it's okay."

Blaire tried to sit up, feeling her body just going limp on her.

"Dean…you don't have to…" She whispered, "You don't have to…"

"Stop shuffling," Dean told her, "Hold still."

Blaire moved weakly against her brother, trying to push out of his arms. She rolled out and onto the bed, continuing her journey until she hit the floor. Sam made his way out from the bathroom, putting the kit on his bed before picking his sister up. Her eyes shot open and they were black, Sam dropping her in shock.

"Sam, what the fuck are you doing?" Dean asked, looking over the side of the bed to see Blaire's fully black eyes, "Jesus…"

"You should be so lucky." Blaire laughed, "Boys, you just don't learn."

"Blaire?" Sam asked, shocked when his sister broke into hellish laughter and black smoke shot from her mouth again.

Their sister lay shivering on the floor and Sam lifted her against him, jumping when she shot awake and screamed.

"Oh my God…" She breathed, "Oh my God…"

"Hey, take it easy…" Dean said softly, "Calm down, Blaire."

Blaire shook her head and climbed out of Sam's arms, grabbing her cell phone and dialling her father's number.

"Come on, come on, come on…" She breathed, "PICK UP, YOU BASTARD!"

She started to sob and Dean and Sam looked completely confused.

"Don't do this to me…" she cried, "Pick up…please, Dad…pick up the phone…"

She reached his voicemail and left a frantic message, begging for him to let her know she was okay.

* * *

The events of the previous night had shaken everyone, Blaire being left in the motel room to just rest up after her traumatic experiences last night. She bit her fingers nervously and her eyes constantly darted back and forth around the room. She was waiting for her brothers to come back, hopefully with research because she was bored out of her mind. Her cell phone began to ring and she jumped, answering it to here her father's voice on the end of the line.

_"__Blaire? What's wrong?" _He asked, sounding so worried and concerned, Blaire couldn't help but want to cry.

"Dad!" She breathed, "You're okay!"

_"__I'm fine, honey…" _John replied, _"Are you okay?" _

"Yeah…just had another…um…incident…with…_him_…" She whispered, " I couldn't…I couldn't stop it…couldn't fight it…damnit, I tried, but…"

_"__Baby, calm down…"_ John breathed, _"It's alright…just stick with your brothers and you'll be okay." _

"But, Dad…"

_"__I don't wanna sound like an asshole, but I gotta move, okay?" _John said softly, _"I'm closing in on it and I'm not stopping." _

"Dad…"

John hung up.

* * *

"I'm telling you, man, I'm sure of it." Sam said as he and Dean sat in the motel room, Blaire leaving the bathroom just in time to hear the conversation, "Painting at the auction house, Dad is looking down. Painting here, Dad's looking out. The painting has changed, Dean."

Blaire raised an eyebrow and sat on her bed, listening intently to the new information her brothers finally saw fit to share with her.

"All right, so, you think Daddy Dearest is trapped in the painting?" Dean asked, "He's handing out Columbian neckties like he did with his family?"

"Yeah, it seems like it." Sam replied, "But if his bones are already dusted, then how are we gonna stop him?"

Dean leaned over and looked at a photo from a book Sam had on the table, Blaire leaning over to see for herself.

"All right, well, if Isaiah's position changed, maybe some other things in the painting changed as well." Dean replied, "It could give us some clues."

"What, like a _DaVinci Code _deal?" Blaire asked.

"I don't know, I'm still waiting for the movie on that one." Dean answered before addressing his brother, "Anyway, we gotta get back in and see that painting. Which is a good thing because you can get some more time to crush on your girlfriend."

Blaire chuckled at Sam's blush, turning and tying her hair in a hair band before grabbing her diary and beginning to write in it.

Sam's nervous conversation to Sarah was hilarious and she had to try and hide her laughs, it all growing too much for her. She had to leave the motel room and she sat by the Impala, chuckling at her brother's teenage crush. She was grateful to see that maybe he was beginning to heal from the pain of losing Jess. She hoped that was what was happening, because she hated to see him hurting like this.

Dean appeared from the door and saw her sat against the Impala, noticing the colour in her cheeks and smiling to see her looking…well…beautiful. His sister was beautiful, but today she was glowing…like near angelic glowing. He wondered how on Earth his dad could hurt someone like her. He knew that all would be revealed in time, but he certainly wasn't looking forward to it.

None of them were.

-TBC-


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Twelve**

"Come on, Blaire! You can do better than that!" Dean laughed, "One more time."

Blaire shook her head and sighed.

"Dude, no more." She breathed, "I wanna save my energy."

Dean was letting Blaire have a training session in the fields behind the motel, both of them practicing self defence, and in Blaire's case, using more than one knife at once.

"Besides, we gotta go visit the place those idiots who bought that stupid painting live." She chuckled, wiping sweat from her brow, "Shit, I haven't got time to shower, I'll just have to spray some deodorant or something."

Dean punched his sister's arm playfully and smiled, Blaire pushing him and running away.

"JERK!"

"SHRIMP!"

* * *

"Sam, what's happening?" Sarah asked, Blaire rolling her eyes at the girl who'd foolishly decided to join them.

They were currently outside the mansion that Sarah's friend Evelyn lived in, the woman who'd bought the painting as it transpired.

"I told you, you shouldn't have come" Sam said softly, the four of them rushing up the porch steps.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Dean asked, Blaire going to kick the door in and failing.

"You said Evelyn might be in danger." Sam said softly, "What kind of danger?"

"Shit…" She breathed, "I can't knock this fucker down. I gotta pick it."

With that, she pulled out a lock pick, beginning to work on the door while Sam and Dean tried to open the windows.

"What are you guys, burglars?" Sarah asked, Blaire chuckling in response.

"I wish it was that simple." Dean breathed.

"Cowabunga!" Blaire laughed as she got the door open.

"Look, you really should wait in the car," Sam said to Sarah, "It's for your own good."

"The hell I will," Sarah huffed, "Evelyn's a friend."

Inside, the four of them looked around the house, noticing the painting and Isaiah in his usual position.

"Evelyn?" Sarah called.

"Evelyn?" Blaire called again, spotting the woman sat in the arm chair.

"Evelyn? Evelyn?" Sarah asked as the family moved closer to the chair, "It's Sarah Blake. Are you alright?"

"Sarah, don't." Sam warned, "Sarah!"

Sarah screamed and looked to the painting when Evelyn's head tipped back to reveal a slashed throat, Blaire gagging at the sight. Isaiah was looking forward and that made Sarah scream even more.

"Oh, my God!" Sarah cried, "Oh, my God!"

Sam dragged her screaming from the room, Dean and Blaire looking at each other with pale expressions.

* * *

The knock at the door made the Winchesters wary and Sam moved closer to answer it, Dean and Blaire busy cleaning guns and (in Blaire's case) writing in diaries.

"Hey." He said softly as Sarah answered, "You alright?"

"No, actually." Sarah replied, "I just lied to the cops and told them I went to Evelyn's alone and found her like that."

Sam looked like a lost puppy and Blaire's heart lurched in response to the expression. He was kinda besotted with Sarah and both Blaire and Dean knew it too.

"Thank you." He said softly, Sarah shaking her head.

"Don't thank me. I'm about to call 'em right back if you don't tell me what the hell is going on." Sarah snapped, "Who's killing these people?"

"What." Sam said.

"What?" Sarah asked.

"It's not who, it's what is killing these people." Sam said, Sarah shaking her head completely in confusion, "Sarah, you saw that painting move."

"No. No, I was seeing things." Sarah breathed, "It's impossible."

"Yeah, well," Blaire chuckled, continuing to write in her diary, "Welcome to our world."

"Sarah, I know this sounds crazy," Sam began, being careful and gentle with his words, "But we think that that painting is haunted."

Tears formed in Sarah's eyes and the Winchesters winced a little at the sight.

"You're joking." She breathed, the family remaining quiet, "You're not joking. God, the guys I go out with."

"Sarah, think about it…Evelyn, the Telescas. They both had the painting, and there have been others before that." Sam explained, "Wherever this thing goes, people die, and we're just trying to stop it. And that's the truth."

Sarah sighed and looked up at Sam, Blaire grinning as they got a little lost in each other for a moment.

"Well, then, I guess you better show me." She said, "I'm coming with you."

"What? No. Sarah, no, you should just go home. This stuff can get dangerous, and…" Sam protested, looking to see Dean and Blaire watching in understanding, "And I don't want you to get hurt."

"Look, you guys are probably crazy, but if you're right about this…well, me and my dad sold that painting, we might have got these people killed." Sarah replied, "I'm not saying I'm not scared, 'cause I am scared as hell, but I'm not gonna run and hide, either."

She walked to the door and turned to look at Sam, Dean and Blaire sharing a look consisting mainly of raised eyebrows.

"So, are we going or what?" She asked, heading out of the door.

"Sam?" Dean began, Sam turning to look at his brother, "Marry that girl."

* * *

The Winchesters and Sarah stood outside the mansion, the slightly cold wind shooting through Blaire's body as she began to work the door open.

"Uh, isn't this a crime scene?" Sarah asked, watching Blaire as she tried to get through the police seal.

"Well, you've already lied to the cops." She said with a cheeky smile, no doubt something she learned from Dean, "What's another infraction?"

Inside the house, Sam took the painting from the living room wall, leaning it against a chair so he and his siblings could study it.

"Aren't you worried that it's gonna, you know, kill us?" Sarah asked, Blaire huffing out a laugh and shaking her head.

If Sarah was worrying about this, she had no idea why she'd come along in the first place.

"No, it seems to do its thing at night." Sam assured, "I think we're alright in daylight."

Dean and Blaire were looking at the painting and then the photo in the library book, whispering things that they noticed were different.

"You wanna go with that?" Blaire whispered, Dean nodding and turning slightly.

"Sam, check it out." Dean said, passing the photo to Sam, "The razor…it's closed in this one, but it's open in that one."

"What are you guys looking for?" Sarah asked.

"Well, if the spirit's changing aspects of the painting," Blaire began, tapping her fingers against the wall she was leaning against, "Maybe it's doing so for a reason."

She bit her lip and went into thought, being snapped out of it when Sam noticed something.

"Hey, look at this…" He breathed, "The painting _in_ the painting."

Dean and Blaire looked, noticing a building in the painting behind Isaiah.

"Looks like a crypt or a mausoleum or something." Dean breathed, Blaire grabbing an ashtray from a nearby table and holding it up to the painting.

She looked at the building, seeing a name inscribed on it.

"Merchant." She said quietly, "Merchant?"

* * *

"That's the third bone yard we've checked." Blaire huffed as the four of them headed through yet another graveyard, "I think this ghost is jerkin' us around."

"So, this is what the three of you do for a living?" Sarah asked.

"Not exactly." Sam replied with a sigh, "We don't get paid."

"Well, Mazel Tov." Sarah said softly, Dean noticing the building up ahead.

"Over there." He said, the four of them walking towards it.

* * *

They entered the mausoleum, heading into a cobweb coated chamber, its walls lined with urns. Sarah moved towards one and saw a glass case preserving a doll.

"Okay, that right there is the creepiest thing I've ever seen." She breathed, Blaire chuckling in response.

"It was sort of a tradition at the time." Sam explained, "Whenever a child died, sometimes they'd preserve the kid's favourite toy in a glass case right next to the headstone in a crypt."

"You notice anything strange here?" Blaire asked, Sarah huffing out a soft laugh.

"Uh, where do I start?" She asked, Dean and Blaire tutting in response.

"No, that's not what I mean." Blaire said, "Look at the urns."

"Yeah, there are only four." Sam replied.

"Yeah, Mom and the three kids." Dean breathed, "Daddy Dearest isn't here."

Sam and Blaire shared looks of concern.

"So, where is he?"

-TBC-


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Thirteen**

The Winchesters waited outside the police station for Dean, Sarah standing and talking to Sam while Blaire stood further away, just to give them a little space. She watched as they talked, Sam leaning over and brushing his fingers against Sarah's face. She smiled and chuckled, watching her brother going through his teenage-love phase, but she realised as they were talking that it was more than just a crush. She saw Dean approaching and sighed.

"Oh no…" She breathed, "Dean, don't ruin the moment…"

She tried to catch his attention but it was too late.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Blaire ran her hands over her face and sighed. Dean always had the best damn timing and she made her way back over to her brothers.

"So, what'd you get?" She asked, taking the question right out of Sam's mouth.

"Apparently, the surviving relatives of the Merchant family were so ashamed of Isaiah that they didn't want him interred with the rest of the family. So, they handed him over to the county." Dean revealed, "The county gave him a pauper's funeral…economy-style. Turns out he wasn't cremated, he was buried in a pine box."

"So, there _are_ bones to burn?" Sam asked, Dean nodding in response.

"Wooo!" Blaire whooped, "Yeah! A decent twist in this so far particularly boring hunt we've had to endure…apart from meeting Sarah, of course."

Sarah smiled at Blaire who gave a friendly wink in response.

"Tell me you know where these bones are." Sam breathed, Dean smiling in response.

Yeah. He knew.

* * *

Later in the day, Sarah and Blaire headed out for a coffee. Well…more for a girly chat.

"So, you like my baby brother, huh?" Blaire asked, Sarah swallowing nervously.

"Yes…I do…" Sarah replied, "Do you mind?"

"Mind?" Blaire asked, "Of course not! It's just…it's probably good for him 'cause he can start progressing in his grief over his girlfriend, Jess…but I don't want him to get hurt."

"I wouldn't hurt him in a million years, Blaire…" Sarah said, "Never…I can see how much you love him though, and how willing you are to protect him…it's a good quality."

"Hey, honey…" Blaire said softly, "You don't have to kiss my ass or anything, I know you're a good woman and I know you'd look after him."

"I…I wasn't kissing your ass, Blaire…" Sarah said, "I was being honest."

Blaire blushed a little and bowed her head, unsure of how to take the compliment.

"You don't get told that often, huh?" Sarah asked, Blaire chuckling and shaking her head before adding a secret drop of whiskey to her coffee.

"Don't get complimented often," She mumbled sadly, "But when have you got time to give and take compliments in this job?"

"Don't…don't Dean and Sam ever…?"

"Not really. They have on occasion since we've met up again but…not really. Not before."

"Oh."

There was awkward silence but Blaire smiled weakly before clearing her throat.

"I hope that you and Sam are happy…if you ever get anywhere with him," Blaire began, "Because, my God, he can be a stubborn bastard. He and Dean are both bad for that."

Sarah chuckled and sipped her coffee, looking at Blaire with kind eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Blaire smiled and Sarah took a deep breath.

"Um…I've seen your brother try to pick up girls…and Sam and I like each other…but you seem kinda…well…" She began, "You seem kinda lonely…"

"Yeah…um…" Blaire began, trying not to seem too low about it, "I tend to lose out on that one…I never get to hook up."

"Why not?" Sarah asked, "You've got needs too, right…?"

"Yeah, but…uh…" Blaire continued, "Apparently they don't matter…not as much as Dean's urges anyway…"

"That must be awful." Sarah breathed, "Not being able to…well…"

"It is…" Blaire said, "But I'm used to it. Anyway, this ain't about me. It's about you and Sam."

Sarah giggled and blushed.

"You're sure you don't mind?"

"Promise." Blaire said, "If you get the chance to…go for it."

Sarah smiled and sipped her coffee, the girls exchanging looks of trust before grabbing their bags and heading back for the motel.

* * *

That night, the group stood in the cemetery where Merchant was buried, Sam, Dean and Blaire digging the grave while poor Sarah stood with a flashlight. There was a groan of pain and Blaire fell against the shovel in her hand, Dean sighing before helping Sam hoist her out of the grave, letting her sit on the grass.

"Blaire?" Sarah asked, "You okay?"

"I've got a bad back…courtesy of a werewolf hunt…" Blaire huffed, "I'm good…"

She stood up and rested against the shovel, resting a hand on her back and grinning.

"You guys seem to be uncomfortably comfortable with this." Sarah breathed, shivering a little in the cold as she held the flashlight.

"Yeah, well, this isn't exactly the first grave we've dug." Sam said, "Still think I'm a catch?"

He grinned and Sarah smiled back.

"I think I got something." Dean said, Sarah holding the flashlight so Dean could see what he'd found.

He opened the tomb with his shovel, the siblings and Sarah looking down at the body before Sam and Dean poured salt and gasoline over it.

"You've been a real pain in the ass, Isaiah." Dean huffed, he and Sam climbing out of the grave before Dean lit a match and threw it into the grave.

"Good riddance."

The four of them watched the bones burn, Dean supporting Blaire against him and rubbing her back soothingly to try and loosen the knots in it.

* * *

Everything had gone well until Sam and Sarah had become locked in the house.

"Break it down?" Dean asked, Blaire nodding in response.

"Ready when you are, Dean."

"One, two, three…go."

Blaire and Dean sprinted up the porch steps, hitting the door with good force but not enough, Blaire staggering back and cradling her shoulder, fearing it was dislocated.

"Dean? Blaire?" Sam cried, "Hey! Is that you?"

"Yeah, you alright?" Dean asked, answering his phone when Sam called him through the door, "Tell me you slammed the front door."

"No, it wasn't me. I think it was the little girl." Sam said, Dean's brow furrowing in response.

"The girl? What girl?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, she's out of the painting." Sam replied frantically, "I think it might have been her all along."

"Wasn't the dad lookin' down at her?" Dean asked, "Maybe he was trying to warn them."

"Hey, hey, hey, let's recap later, alright?" Sam breathed, "Just get us out of here."

Blaire limped to the door, beginning work on the lock while Dean tried to find another way in, soon realising that there was something they had to do.

* * *

Blaire and Dean sprinted across the cemetery, making their way towards the mausoleum, the cold air making tears stream from their eyes as they ran across the grass.

"Come on, Dean!" Blaire yelled, the two of them running into the mausoleum and finding the doll in the case.

Dean tried to break the case with the back of his gun but it didn't work, so Blaire signalled for him to duck and shot the glass. Blaire flicked the lighter, realising it wasn't working.

"SHIT!" She yelled, Dean taking his own lighter and trying to light it.

"Come on, come on, come on…" Dean breathed, laughing as the flame came to life and he burned the doll, dropping the burning object to the floor.

When it had burned, Dean and Blaire took a deep breath, Blaire running her fingers through her hair before Dean called Sam. It was over now…she could feel it.

* * *

"This was archived in the county records." Dean said the next morning as he and Blaire approached Sam and Sarah, a piece of paper held in his hand, "The Merchants adopted daughter, Melanie. Know why she was up for adoption? 'Cause her real family was murdered in their beds."

"She killed them?" Sarah asked, Dean nodding in response.

"Yeah, who'd suspect her, a sweet little girl?"

"So, then she kills Isaiah and his family, the old man takes the blame…" Blaire said, "Spirit's been trying to warn people ever since."

The siblings left Sarah and Sam to it, heading out to the Impala and waiting patiently.

"So…how you doin', Blaire?" Dean asked, "Sarah told us you were feeling a little down…"

"Huh?" Blaire asked, "Oh…nah…nah, I'm fine."

"If you're not," Dean began, knowing there was a chick-flick moment approaching, "You know you can tell us, okay?"

"Thanks, big bro." Blaire said softly, looking up and smiling weakly before winding her arms around her older brother.

Dean sighed and held her back, feeling her soft lips press against his cheek in a gentle kiss.

"Love you, brother."

"Love you too, sis."

They looked back to see Sam and Sarah leaving the auction house, Sam leaning down and kissing Sarah passionately. The two of them grinned as they saw their little brother finally make his move, Blaire nudging Dean lightly as she saw the pride in his eyes.

"That's my boy." Dean said softly, getting in the car with Blaire in tow, Sam and Sarah continuing to kiss under their gaze.

Finally, maybe Sam could start to heal from his pain over Jess.

-TBC-


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Fourteen**

With a gentle sigh, Blaire sipped her coffee, looking at Sam and smiling gently as the younger Winchester still grinned at the thought of Sarah. He was totally thinking about Sarah. She could see it in his eyes. But Blaire always hoped, wished and prayed that she could find someone special, someone who'd go to the ends of the Earth to love her, protect her and look after her. Although the way things were going right now, she'd never have that chance.

"Alright, dudes, not a decent lead in all of Nebraska." Dean sighed, "What've you got?"

"Well, I've been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota." Sam replied, "Here…a woman in Iowa fell ten thousand feet from an airplane and survived."

Blaire let out a soft chuckle, both her brothers smiling warmly at the sound.

"That sounds more like _'That's Incredible'_ than _'Twilight Zone'_." She said, taking a small sip of coffee as she did while the others nodded in agreement.

"Hey, you know, we could just keep heading east. New York, upstate." Dean said, "Could stop by and see Sarah again, huh? She's a cool chick, man."

"You two seem pretty friendly." Blaire piped up, "What do you say?"

Sam smiled and chuckled, but his siblings could see the sadness in his eyes and it pained them to have to see him hurting that way.

"Yeah, I don't know. Maybe someday." He said softly, "But in the mean time, we got a lot of work to do, guys. And you know that."

"Yeah, you're right." Dean replied, "What else you got?"

"Blaire?" Sam asked, "You got that stuff you found?"

"Uh, yeah," Blaire replied, taking a file out of her bag and searching through to find the new information, "Man in Colorado, local man by the name of Daniel Elkins, was found mauled in his home."

Dean smiled as he saw her flicking through the file, since she was heading to find a map out of the back of it. Only Blaire would be organised enough to carry two large files worth of hunting information.

"Elkins." Dean breathed, "I know that name."

"Doesn't ring a bell. Sounds like the police don't know what to think." Blaire said, watching as Dean pulled out their dad's journal and started flicking through it, "First they say it was some sort of bear attack, and now they found signs of robbery."

"Mhm," Dean replied, finding what he was looking for and showing his siblings, "Here, check it out."

The siblings read the name and number, Blaire huffing out a sigh.

"You think it's the same Elkins?" Sam asked, Dean licking his lips before answering.

"It's a Colorado area code." Dean replied, Sam and Blaire sharing raised eyebrows before grabbing their belongings.

* * *

This was an incredibly rare occurrence. Dean and Blaire rode upfront, Sam sitting in the back while Blaire drove. Yes, you read right, Blaire actually drove the Impala down the highway, Aerosmith playing through the Impala, Blaire humming along to the melodies of the songs.

"So, you still make those files, oh nerd-child?" Dean asked, Blaire laughing in response.

"Yep. They always come in handy, okay?" She chuckled, blushing a little, "Don't judge me, Jerk."

"Shut up, Shrimp." Dean laughed, "I know you secretly enjoy filing your stuff! I've woken up at three in the morning and seen you with the stuff sprawled out over the bed ready to file, y'know."

"Well…beats just lying awake and trying to sleep when it's obvious I can't." Blaire replied, "Besides, it's gotta be done anyway. You'll thank me one day, Dean Winchester."

Dean smiled and watched his baby sister driving. She was relaxed and calm, completely in control as she drove. She looked in the rear-view mirror at Sam, seeing him twitching in his sleep.

"Sammy…" She called, "Sam, wake up, honey!"

Sam shot awake and jumped, hitting his head on the roof of the car.

"Damnit, Sam! Watch my baby!" Dean yelled, Sam rubbing his head and wincing in pain.

"You okay?" Blaire asked, Sam nodding in answer.

Blaire wasn't too sure he was, but she continued to drive until they reached Colorado. No matter what anyone said, Sam would say he was okay, even if he wasn't. He was still hurting about Jess and both his siblings knew it. It wasn't fair for him to suffer that way, but for now, there was a job to do.

* * *

"Looks like the maid didn't come today." Dean chuckled as he and his siblings broke into Elkins' cabin, looking around to find the place a disgusting mess.

Sam spotted something on the floor, a white circle and on further inspection discovering it to be salt.

"Hey, there's salt over here." He said, "Right inside the door."

Dean found Elkins' journal and began to look through with interest. Blaire came to the conclusion that Elkins could be a hunter. Only a hunter would know to put salt like that on the floor, especially by a door and hunters tend to keep journals.

"You mean like protection-against-demon salt?" Dean asked, "Or, uh, 'oops, I spilled the popcorn' salt?"

"It's clearly a ring." Sam said.

"You think this guy Elkins was a player?" Blaire asked, Dean nodding in response.

"Definitely."

Sam and Blaire headed over to look at the journal Dean had in his hands. It looked like the one their father kept, even with drawings and notes about creatures in it.

"That looks a hell of a lot like Dad's." Sam said, the three of them all looking at the journal.

"Except this dates back to the 60's."

Heading to where Elkins died, the family noticed the smashed skylights, beginning to formulate a vision of what could've happened instead.

"Whatever attacked him, it looks like there was more than one." Sam breathed, Dean and Blaire nodding in response.

"Looks like he put up a hell of a fight, too." Dean added.

"Yeah…" Blaire added, looking around at the damage in the room.

They all moved around the room and looked for any clues as to what could've killed Elkins. Blaire and Sam searched Elkins' desk while Dean checked out the other side of the room, all eyes peeled for any sign of what they were dealing with. Blaire noticed Dean crouch on the floor, studying it carefully.

"Got something?" She asked.

"I don't know." Dean replied, "Some scratches in the floor."

"Death throes maybe?" She suggested, Dean showing a small smile.

"Maybe."

Dean moved over to the desk and grabbed a pencil and piece of paper, beginning to make a rubbing of the scratches.

"Or maybe a message." He said, showing Sam and Blaire the paper, "Look familiar?"

"Three letters, six digits…" Sam said, "The location and combination of a post office box."

"It's a mail drop." Blaire added.

"Just the way Dad does it." Dean breathed, the siblings sharing a look before deciding what to do next.

* * *

"J.W." Sam read, "You think? John Winchester?"

"I don't know." Dean replied, "Should we open it?"

The sudden knocking on the driver's side of the Impala made everyone jump, Blaire gasping and smiling when she saw a familiar face smiling on the other side.

"Dad?"

The siblings tried not to start the whole baby argument, not as soon as they saw their father. That would just be too much to handle; it was difficult enough to get their heads around the fact that he was climbing into the back of the car with Blaire. He kissed Blaire's cheek and hugged her tight, Blaire kissing his cheek and smiling when they released each other.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" She asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Look, I read the news about Daniel." John said softly, "I got here as fast as I could. I saw you three up at his place."

"Why didn't you come in, Dad?" Dean asked.

"You know why. Because I had to make sure you weren't followed... by anyone... or anything." John said, "Nice job of covering your tracks, by the way."

"Yeah, well, we learned from the best." Blaire beamed, John smiling at his daughter in response.

Dean and Sam couldn't understand why Blaire was sucking up to their father after what he'd done to her. Sam tried to hold his tongue and think of a better topic to bring up.

"Wait, so you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?" He asked, John nodding in response.

"Yeah. He was... he was a good man." John said, "He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting."

"You never mentioned him to us." Blaire said sweetly.

"We had a…we had kind of a falling out." John explained, "I hadn't seen him in years. I should look at that."

Dean passed his father the letter, the family waiting patiently for him to read it.

-TBC-


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Fifteen**

The Winchester children listened as their father began to read the letter, horror glazing his eyes for a moment as his hands trembled.

"'If you're reading this, I'm already dead.' That son of a bitch." He hissed, reading on frantically.

"What is it?" Dean asked, looking at his father with anxious eyes.

"He had it the whole time." John breathed, tutting and shaking his head in apparent discontentment.

"Dad, what?" Sam asked, every young Winchester watching John with worried expressions.

The father looked around at his children as he asked the next question.

"When you searched the place did you…did you see a gun, an antique, a Colt revolver?" He asked, "Did you see it?"

"Uh, there was an old case but it was empty." Dean said, John sighing in response.

"They have it." He breathed, every younger Winchester looking confused.

"You mean whatever killed Elkins?" Blaire asked.

"We got to pick up their trail." John said, climbing out of the car and leaning down by the driver's side window.

"Wait, you want us to come with you?" Sam asked.

"If Elkins was telling the truth we got to find this gun." John said.

"The gun?" Blaire asked, "Why?"

"Because it's important, that's why." John said, Blaire prepared with another problem.

"Dad, we don't even know what these things are yet."

"They were what Danny Elkins killed best…" John replied, "Vampires."

"Vampires? Perfect."

He sighed and looked at his children before telling them some more facts that they didn't already know.

"Most vampire lore is crap." He began, each Winchester child sharing looks, "A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart."

The family listened intently to their father's words, Blaire realising just how wise her father was.

"But the bloodlust…that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive." He revealed, "They were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late."

He looked at Blaire on the last part of that sentence and her face flushed with the look of disappointment that her father gave her.

* * *

That night in the motel room, Blaire and Sam slept peacefully while Dean and John sat at the table talking in whispers.

"Why did you look at Blaire when you said the part about not knowing it's a vampire until it's too late?" Dean asked, "It's been bugging me all night, and I just wanna know why you're so uptight about that pregnancy…"

"Dean, I had a difficult choice to make, okay?"

"Oh, so stabbing your own daughter's a difficult choice for you is it?" Dean hissed, "'Cause it seemed pretty easy to me for you to decide what to do…"

John was about to retort but a voice was coming through the police scanner.

"_**Unit 22, let me confirm. Mile marker 41, an abandoned car, you need a workup?"**_

"_Copy that. Possible 207. Better get forensics out here."_

Putting the scanner down, John grabbed his jacket, Dean doing the same.

"Sam, Blaire." He said, loud enough to wake his youngest children up, "Let's go."

"Hmm-hmm." Blaire hummed.

"What happened?" Sam asked, sitting up and stretching.

"Just follow me, okay?" John said, heading for the door with his children slowly in tow.

* * *

"So it _is_ starting."

Blaire sighed and ran her hands over her face, through her gorgeous blonde locks and resting them around the back of her neck, rocking slightly as she sat in the back of the Impala. This is the one thing she didn't miss about being with her brothers…their petty squabbling.

"What?" Sam asked, Blaire hanging her head and waiting for the argument to brew.

"Sam, we've been looking for Dad all year," Dean breathed, "Now we're not with him for more than a couple hours and there's static already?"

"No. Look, I'm happy he's okay, alright?" Sam said, no-one noticing Blaire already beginning to cry on the backseat, "And I'm happy that we're all working together again."

"Good." Dean said sharply.

"It's just the way he treats us like we're children." Sam said, Dean sighing and cursing in response, "He, he barks orders at us, Dean. He expects us to follow him without question. He keeps us on some crap need-to-know deal."

"He does what he does for a reason." Dean said, trying to defend his father.

"What reason?"

With that, Blaire snapped.

"Pull over." She snarled, "Right. Now."

The boys looked up at their sister to see tears streaming down her face and they pulled over, Blaire climbing out and standing on the edge of the road, looking into the landscape below them before letting out the loudest roar of anger Dean and Sam had ever heard from her. John's truck in front had stopped, Dean knowing that his father could see Blaire's display from the truck and no doubt shaking his head in disappointment.

* * *

"Yeah, alright, got it." Dean said, hanging up the phone, "Pull off the next exit."

"Why?" Sam asked.

Blaire wished he'd stop questioning everything and just get on. It was so much easier if they all just got on with it and stopped fussing…Goddamn men…

"Cause Dad thinks we got the vampire's trail." Dean replied, Sam looking incredulously at his brother.

"How?" He asked.

"I don't know," Dean replied, "He didn't say."

Sam growled and put his foot down, overtaking John's truck and parking the Impala in the middle of the road, stopping John in his tracks before climbing out of the car and marching towards his father.

"Shit…" Blaire breathed, "Sam!"

Blaire and Dean shot out of the car after Sam, both ready to stop things if they got out of hand.

"What the hell was that?" John asked, taking in his son's pissed expression.

"We need to talk." Sam said sharply.

"About what?" John asked.

"About everything." Sam replied, the emphasis on the word _everything _sending shivers down Blaire's spine, "Where are we going, Dad? What's the big deal about this gun?"

Dean and Blaire watched their brother and father facing off to each other, both their hearts pounding in their chests.

"Sammy, come on, we can Q & A after we kill all the vampires." Dean said, trying to keep the peace.

"Your brother's right. We don't have time for this." John said, knowing Sam was getting even more annoyed.

"Last time we saw you, you said it was too dangerous to be together. Now, out of the blue, you need our help." Sam spat, "Now, obviously something big is going down and we want to know what!"

"Get back in the car." John said sternly.

"No." Sam retorted.

"I said get back in the damn car." John snapped.

"Yeah, and I said no!" Sam yelled, Dean stepping forward to grab Sam.

"Alright, you made your point, tough guy. Look, we're all tired, we can talk about this later." He said, Sam shoving him away, "Sammy, I mean it, come on."

"I still can't believe you killed your own grandchild." Sam breathed as he and Dean began to walk away.

"What'd you say?" John asked, Sam turning back to his father.

"You heard me." He hissed, "Come on, Dad. Why'd you do it?"

"Because that baby would've been a danger to us!" John barked, Blaire shouting over them.

"Stop it, both of you!"

"No, it was because you didn't want to have to deal with the issues of a pregnant woman and a baby," Sam yelled, "You didn't want to deal with the fact that your daughter's baby would've been a freak!"

"Maybe if Blaire had been fucking sensible none of that would've happened!" John snarled, "That fucking abomination wouldn't have even been made!"

Neither Sam nor John noticed the slaps that were heading their way and they received one huge one each, going for each other before Dean grabbed them both.

"Stop it! I said stop it! Stop it!" He yelled, "That's enough!"

He turned to find Blaire gone and he looked around frantically.

"BLAIRE!" He called, "BLAIRE!"

There was no answer and both John and Sam began to panic too.

"Terrific." Dean breathed, running to the Impala while John checked the truck.

He almost missed her until he found her huddled up around the side of the truck, rocking and sobbing where she sat.

"Blaire…" He breathed, "C'mon, honey…come on…"

"Fuck you." Blaire snarled, "I want Dean."

"Blaire," John said a little sterner, "Come on."

"I WANT DEAN!"

John sighed and called his oldest son over, getting in the truck pulling away and storming in front when Sam moved the Impala.

"C'mere, Blaire…" Dean whispered, holding his sister close to him.

"They…they called my baby a freak…" She sobbed, "An abomination…"

"I know…I know, but they were wrong, sweetheart…" Dean assured her, "Ashley wasn't an abomination or a freak…it's okay…"

Dean hushed his sister and kissed her temple, glaring at his brother and disappearing father with disappointment at their cruel words about Blaire's baby. He expected something like that to escape John's lips but not Sam's. Certainly not Sam's.

* * *

"You comin'?" Dean asked Blaire as he, Sam and John prepared themselves for the hunt.

She remained silent and shook her head, tears falling down her face still from the night before. She'd not slept at all. She'd just laid there and cried all night and she was still crying today. Clearly, the words Sam and John had used had really hurt her and maybe even broken her heart.

"Blaire." John said sternly, "You're coming with us. That's an order."

"Fuck your orders." Blaire growled, grabbing her bag and throwing her clothes, toiletries, books and files into it, "I'm done."

"What?" Sam asked, watching as Blaire grabbed her bag of weapons and put it on the bed, slipping her jacket on while putting her knives and guns in there.

"I said I'm done." Blaire growled, "No-one, and I mean _no-one _treats me the way that the three of you do. No-one speaks about my dead child the way you and Dad did last night…you should be ashamed of the things you said."

She left her share of the rent on the table and slammed the door, Dean going after her.

"Blaire, don't do this!" He called, Blaire ignoring him and continuing to walk away, "BLAIRE!"

He watched his sister disappear, one tear sliding down his face. He didn't understand what she meant when she'd talked about their treatment of her, until he remembered what Sarah had told them about her being kinda lonely and down, and he realised that they'd kinda treated her like a child, like she wasn't exactly capable of looking after herself and like she wasn't allowed to have a little backseat fun once in a while. They'd been keeping her in the motel room to research while they'd been out finding information. They'd taken all the good things, the fun things out of the messy life they lived in away from her. No wonder she wanted to run.

-TBC-


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Sixteen**

Blaire walked until she was three towns away from her brothers, finally stopping at a small motel just to rest and think. She went deep into thought about everything that'd happened over her past, from as far back as she could remember. She remembered those lonely days in those motel rooms, those long nights where Blaire would lie awake, even from being just a toddler, worrying about her father.

_**

* * *

Twenty-One Years Ago **_

"Dean?" A tiny voice whispered from the other side of the room.

"Yeah?" Dean replied, sitting up and looking at the other bed where his little sister lay with tears rolling down her face.

"I wan' Mama…"

She sniffled and hiccupped, sobbing quietly while Dean climbed out of bed, the five year old padding over to his three year old sister and climbing into bed beside her. She snuggled into his side, hiccupping and sniffling as Dean kissed her forehead.

"I do too…"

The two of them lay together, crying silently for their Mom, both falling asleep through exhaustion.

Several hours later, however, little Sam awoke, the fourteen month old wailing as he got used to being awake in another strange place. Blaire awoke, rubbing her eyes and poking Dean's chest.

"Dean…Sammy's woked up…" She said, Dean waking up slowly and heading over to the crib they'd rented, looking down at his little brother.

"Good morning, Sammy!" He said happily, opening the crib and heaving the little one out of the crib.

He gently sat Sam against Blaire who was ready and waiting on the bed, the toddler wrapping her arms around her baby brother and holding him in place.

"Stop crying, Sam!" She said sweetly, "No needs for tearsies."

"No, no need for tears." Dean said as he prepared a bottle for Sam, the little baby seeing the bottle and stopping his tears before squeaking out a laugh.

"He finks it funny…" Blaire said, smiling as Sam turned and threw himself on her, "He's huggling me!"

Dean chuckled and took the bottle to Sam, the baby opening his mouth wide and happily accepting the bottle, beaming up at his siblings as they fed him.

_**

* * *

Nineteen Years Ago **_

Sam toddled around the motel room looking for his teddy. It had gone missing somewhere and he just couldn't find it.

"Bwaire?" Sam asked, "Has you seen Pelpy?"

"Penelope?" Blaire asked, looking around the room, "Oh! Daddy took her to the laundrette for cleaning."

Sam's little lip wobbled and he sat on the floor, breaking into heavy, loud sobs.

"Oh, Sammy, no!" Blaire breathed, "Don't cry, baby brother, Daddy will be home soon and it will all be okay."

She sat by her little brother and cuddled him, kissing his head repeatedly and holding him close to her. Dean came back into the room from the vending machines, holding a candy bar in his hand.

"We'll have to share." The seven year old said, "I'll cut it."

"Be careful of your fingies." Sam said, "That's 'portant, to not cut fingies."

"Yeah, Sammy, thanks for reminding me to be careful." Dean said softly, cutting the candy bar and sharing it between his siblings.

A half hour later, John came through the motel door, the children screaming and running towards him.

"Oh, my babies…" He whispered, "Have you been good for Dean?"

The two youngest children nodded and John picked up Sam, passing him Penelope the bear. Sam snuggled the bear and kissed John's cheek, holding onto him once more before being put on the floor, Dean being welcomed into John's arms and being held tightly.

"Thanks, Dean, you've done a good job." John said, the older Winchester grinning in response to the praise.

"Where's Blaire gone, huh?" John asked, knowing full well the child was behind him, but playing along regardless.

The girly giggles weren't hiding anything and he spun around, grabbing Blaire and hoisting her into the air before he peppered her face with kisses, the little girl laughing in response and squirming against him.

_**

* * *

Present Day **_

Blaire left that motel room and headed towards South Dakota. She was in the state, but she'd run out of money for travel and she needed somewhere to stay.

"Please pick up…" Blaire whispered, sighing at the voice on the end of the line.

"_Hello?"_

Ah, that gruff voice she knew so well. She knew if she needed anything she could turn to him. That was already practically set in stone.

"Bobby…Bobby, it's Blaire…" She breathed through her tears, so relieved for her father's friend to have answered.

"_Blaire? You alright, girl?" _He asked, _"You been cryin'?" _

"I…Can I come to your place…please?" She asked, "I...I don't know where else to turn…I…"

"_Yeah, sure…where are you, honey?"_

"I just entered Sioux Falls from Mitchell." Blaire replied, "I'm right by the sign."

"_Alright, I'm on my way, sweetheart." _Bobby said gently.

Gentleness was what she needed and they hung up, Blaire sat waiting patiently for Bobby.

_**

* * *

Fourteen Years Ago **_

"DAD!" Eleven year old Blaire cried from the bathroom, sobbing and hiccupping as she looked at the mess around her, "DADDY!"

"Blaire?" John asked, knocking on the door, "What's wrong, honey?"

"I…There's…b-blood...I…"

"Baby, calm down…" John said softly, "It's okay…it's okay…"

"What's wrong with me?" Blaire screamed, "WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

Of course…John hadn't discussed this with her yet. He felt bad now because the poor child was panicking on the other side of the door, but he'd been prepared and he got the special things he'd bought her, knocking on the door carefully.

"Blaire, I want you to come to the bathroom door, okay?" He said gently, "And just open it a little because I'll pass you something through."

Blaire hiccupped again and moved towards the door, opening it and taking the things from her dad.

"Thank you…" She said quietly, incredibly embarrassed as she had to get herself cleaned up.

Ten minutes later, after figuring out what to do with the things John had given her, Blaire entered the motel room, blushing ridiculously as her father took her hand. She felt relieved to be clean anyway.

"Blaire…we need to talk, sweetheart."

That was the day Blaire got the birds and the bees talk, and it had been one of the most traumatic days of her life.

_**

* * *

Present Day **_

"So…John stabbed you and killed your baby?" Bobby asked as he and Blaire sat in his living room, both drinking beers as Blaire wiped her eyes.

"Yeah…waited until I had a bump so everyone knew…" She sobbed, "And then a few days ago he called the baby an abomination…and Sam called it a freak…"

Bobby sighed and shook his head, looking across at John's middle child, seeing how vulnerable she was at the moment. He'd never seen her looking like that in his life and it worried the hell out of him.

"And then you told them you were done?" Bobby asked, Blaire nodding in response.

"Yep…said, 'Fuck you' and walked out." Blaire sighed, "Maybe not the smartest move with a demon after us, but I honestly don't care…I'm tired of being the little housewife they all run home to."

Bobby patted Blaire's back as he took the beer bottles out of the way, entering the room again and smiling softly at her.

"Let's have a look at Ashley then."

_**

* * *

Six Years Ago **_

Blaire stumbled through the door, bottle of whiskey in her hand as she drank the rest of it, throwing it to the side of the room and disturbing Dean from his sleep.

"Blaire?"

"Hey, Deany-baby…" She breathed, the smell of the alcohol really ridiculously heavy on the eighteen year old's body, "Fuck…fuck what time is it?"

"Where the fuck have you been?" Dean asked, getting out of bed and grabbing her wrists.

There was a look in her eyes when she looked back up at him that he didn't like and he shuddered, feeling her move too close for comfort. She pressed her lips to his and he pushed her away, holding her still as she went to fall.

"Blaire…" He said sternly, "Where. Have. You. Been?"

"Out." Blaire said, "Tommy from school…we had sex in his car…"

She broke into tears and Dean held her close out of instinct. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

"He kicked me out straight after…" She sobbed, "Thought he loved me you see…"

"Blaire…"

"He'd said that, Dean…" She mumbled, "Told me he loved me…then he goes and leaves me…and well…I was in a gas station and I stole this…not like anyone gives a shit really…I think I'm bleeding…"

"Blaire Winchester, look at me." Dean said sternly, the drunk, broken eighteen year old looking up at him with a tear streaked face, her lower lip wobbling.

"I'm so sorry…" She breathed, "I'm so, so sorry…"

"Okay," Dean said softly, "Okay, it's alright…you're home now…"

He pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back soothingly, leading her to the bathroom and passing her some clothes.

"Get cleaned up, honey…"

Blaire nodded sadly and did so, Dean not missing a single sob.

_**

* * *

Present Day **_

The Winchester brothers entered Bobby's house, Blaire jumping in shock as Dean called her name.

"Blaire! Oh thank God!" He cried, pulling her into a hug, "Sweetheart, I thought you were hurt!"

"What? Where's Dad?" She asked.

"Meg's got him…we're just…we gotta find a way to help him," Sam breathed, Bobby showing them his study.

"Enjoy."

Her father was in danger, yet her brothers hadn't even called her, had they? She checked her cell phone to find two hundred texts and missed calls, clearly showing that the boys had been panicking for her safety. The important thing now was finding her father.

She had a feeling deep within her that killing this demon wasn't going to be the end of their problems. Something was gnawing at her gut, telling her to be wary and to prepare for whatever may come their way.

She was snapped out of her thoughts however by the door being kicked in and revealing none other than Meg, who sauntered in with her stupid blonde head and stupid fucking smirk.

With a stupid look, she looked at the Winchesters and sighed.

"No more crap, okay?"

-TBC-

* * *

**We're drawing close to the finale of this story! **

**Maybe one or two more chapters and then it's on to the next part of the Series! **

**WOOOOO! **

**xxxxxxxxxx  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary: **Blaire left with her father to go and find whatever killed her mother twenty-two years ago, leaving her older brother, Dean behind. When they're reunited, they discover dark secrets about their family. Please R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Supernatural _or its characters. I only own Blaire Winchester. I don't own some of the lines used either.

**A/N: **The final chapter of this story! Enjoy! I loved writing it!

**

* * *

The Paths We Tread **

**Chapter Seventeen**

Blaire watched as her brother was thrown into a wall, apparently knocked out and she stepped in front of Bobby with Sam by her side…where he should be. She looked the demon right in the eyes, those cold eyes that had no life left in them at all. They were dead eyes, eyes that had nothing in them, no emotion, no sparkle…nothing.

"I want the Colt, kids…" She breathed, "The real Colt…right now."

Instinctively, the three hunters moved across the room, Meg following them.

"We don't have it on us. We buried it." Sam told her, Meg chuckling bitterly.

"Didn't I say 'no more crap? I swear…after everything I heard about you Winchesters, I got to tell you, I'm a little underwhelmed." She began, "First Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun, and then he leaves the real gun with you three chuckleheads. I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find you?"

Blaire fought to suppress a smile as Dean appeared behind Meg.

"Actually, we were counting on it." He said, both he and Meg looking up at the ceiling to see a large protection symbol above her.

"Gotcha." Dean chuckled, smiling at Bobby and his siblings.

* * *

"You know, if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do was ask." Meg said, Dean, Sam and Blaire watching with angry eyes as the demon sat in the chair.

"Oh, Blaire…" Meg said with sarcasm, "So sorry to here about what Daddy Dearest did to that weird half-breed freak thing you had growing in that stomach of yours…such a shame…"

Blaire moved forwards and slapped the demon's face hard enough to make Dean and Sam wince.

"Fuck you!" Blaire hissed, "Where is our father?"

"You didn't ask very nice." Meg said, Sam pulling Blaire out of the way for Dean to talk instead.

"Where's our father, bitch?" he asked, Meg smirking at him.

"Jeez. You kiss your mother with that mouth?" She asked, "Oh wait, I forgot, you don't."

Dean lunged at Meg and put his hands on the arms of the chair, showing anger that Blaire had never seen coming from him in her entire life. He was more pissed than she wanted to know and boy, did she know he was angry. It frightened her to see her brother looking so scary but this was important and she was sick of Meg fucking them about.

"You think this is a frigging game?" Dean yelled, making everyone in the room jump, "Where is he? What did you do to him?"

"He died screaming." Meg chuckled, "I killed him myself."

The next thing Dean did shocked Blaire and she gasped, watching her brother hit Meg across the face.

"That's kind of a turn on," Meg said sleazily, "You hitting a girl."

"You're no girl." Dean hissed, Bobby and Sam calling him out of the room.

Blaire however, stayed behind and watched the demon in the chair.

"Good God, I've seen it all…" Meg laughed, Blaire turning and raising an eyebrow.

"You say something, bitch?" She asked, Meg laughing harder.

Blaire hated being laughed at. It was the worst thing ever in her mind and she walked forward, slapping the slut's face again.

"You know what's coming don't you, Blaire?" Meg said, drawing Blaire's name out and making the young hunter shiver, "Come on…you're smarter than you look."

Blaire looked at the demon with questioning eyes.

"You've seen things…things you can't explain," Meg told her, "Things that are weird even for you…there are big plans for you, my gorgeous little human, you'll see…in time…"

Blaire glared at the demon, never taking her gaze away as her brothers and Bobby returned from the other room. They were going to try and exorcise Meg, and even though Blaire would have to get used to this, something pained her to watch, so she left and sat upstairs on the bed she'd been sleeping in for the past few days. Her mind trailed to her father. He wasn't dead. She knew he wasn't. She didn't know where he was though and that troubled her. Maybe she shouldn't have walked out and left, them that way…but she needed her space. This is what had always pissed her off about her family. They seemed to forget that she was a girl, that maybe she needed her own time and space without having to revolve around them.

Breaking her thoughts though was the sound of her older brother's voice, frantic and upset.

"BLAIRE! WE'RE LEAVING!"

Blaire grabbed her unpacked bags and ran downstairs, meeting her brothers and looking up at Sam.

"Blaire…I'm so sorry…" He whispered, Blaire dropping the bags and hugging her brother tight.

"Guys, we don't have time for chick-flick moments, let's roll," Dean yelled, "Come on!"

* * *

On arrival in Jefferson, Missouri, the family prepared for the fight in silence, loading their bags with weapons and arming their bodies just in case. Dean was unusually quiet and both Blaire and Sam were concerned.

"Sweetheart," Blaire said softly, "Are you okay? You've been quiet."

"Just getting ready." Dean said, the response concerning both Blaire and Sam.

"He's gonna be fine, Dean." Sam said, trying to reassure himself, his sister and his brother.

They were all petrified, and they could all feel it. Blaire looked around the area they were parked in, ignoring her brothers' banter. She prayed her father was okay, actually closed her eyes and prayed to God that their father was alright and he was still alive. If they'd parted on bad terms and he was dead she would never, ever forgive herself. She'd feel that guilt for the rest of her life and she just prayed he was still alive.

"What are you talking about?" She heard Dean ask, snapping her out of her thoughts, "We're bringing the Colt with us."

"We can't, Dean. We've only got three bullets left." Sam protested, "We can't just use them on any demon, we've got to use them on the demon."

"No, we have to save Dad, Sam, okay?" Dean spat, "We're gonna need all the help we can get."

"Dean, you know how pissed Dad would be if we used all the bullets?" Sam asked, "Dean, he wouldn't want us to bring the gun."

"It doesn't matter, Sam." Blaire said, both of them turning and looking at their sister, "It doesn't matter what Dad wants, okay? And since when do you care what Dad wants?"

Sam turned to Dean and sighed, Blaire trying not to bang their heads together and scream the fact that they were rapidly running out of time.

"We want to kill this demon. You used to want that, too. Hell, I mean, you're the one who came and got me at school!" Sam cried to Dean, "You're the one who dragged me back into this, Dean. I'm just trying to finish it!"

"Well, you and Dad are a lot more alike than I thought, you know that? You both can't wait to sacrifice yourself for this thing." Dean yelled, getting upset which was hard for Blaire to listen to, "But you know what? We're gonna be the ones to bury you. You're selfish, you know that? You don't care about anything but revenge."

And Dean was right. Blaire knew he was and it hurt to think it but Sam and their father were so alike it was frightening. Blaire reached out and gripped Dean's hand, soothing him with gentle brushes of her thumb against his.

"That's not true, Dean. I want Dad back. But they are expecting us to bring this gun. They get the gun, they will kill us all." Sam argued, "That Colt is our only leverage and you know it, Dean. We can not bring that gun. We can't."

"Fine." Dean huffed, showing Sam the Colt before placing it in the trunk.

The family set off walking by the river side, Dean suddenly having a brainwave.

"Hey, hey." Dean said, the others stopping to look at him, "Think I know what Meg meant by Sunrise."

The siblings looked over and saw the building. Sunrise Apartments. Blaire chuckled, actually chuckled at the sight.

"Son of a bitch. That's pretty smart." She laughed, "I mean, if these demons can possess people they can possess almost anybody inside."

"Yeah, and make anybody attack us." Sam agreed.

"And so we can't kill them…" Dean breathed, "A building full of fucking human shields."

"They probably know exactly what we look like, too." Blaire added, "And they could look like anybody."

The family agreed that Blaire should wait by the car and Dean and Sam should go and find their dad. She waited patiently, suddenly hearing screams of her brothers as she saw them approaching. She took in the sight of Sam's bloodied and bruising face, and of John and she broke into tears.

"DAD!" She cried, running and winding her arms around him, "Oh my God! Oh thank God, you're alright! I'm so sorry, Daddy, I'm sorry!"

"Hey, it's alright, Blaire," He whispered, "I shouldn't have called your baby an abomination, I'm sorry…"

The family climbed into the Impala and sped away to somewhere safe to hold up.

* * *

Blaire bit her fingers nervously as she tied her hair into a ponytail, knowing that something was coming that was horrifying, but the unnerving words coming from the other room put her on alert and she entered, gasping and widening her eyes at the sight before her. Dean had the Colt pointed at John, the look of distrust horrifyingly real to her and she looked to Sam who looked helpless.

"Dean, it's me." John assured his boy, Dean shaking his head.

"I know my Dad better than anyone." Dean breathed, "And you ain't him."

"What the hell's gotten into you?" John asked, Sam spotting his tearful sister as her worst fear was coming true.

"I could ask you the same thing." Dean said, "Stay back."

"Dean? What the hell's going on?" Blaire asked, John looking at her before returning his attention to Dean.

"Your brother's lost his mind."

That wasn't her father. She knew straight away that something wasn't right.

"He's not Dad." Dean told his baby sister, both of them fighting back tears, "I think he's possessed. I think he's been possessed since we rescued him."

"Don't listen to him, Blaire." John said, Blaire looking back to her distraught brother.

"He's…he's different." Dean breathed, gasping as John looked up at him with yellow eyes.

Sam was thrown against a wall and Blaire was too, struggling against the hold as she broke into tears.

"What a pain in the ass this thing's been." The demon in their father said as he picked up the Colt from the floor, which Dean had dropped when he was pinned to the wall.

"It's you isn't it?" Blaire yelled.

"We've been looking for you for a long time." Sam added, squirming as he was pressed against the hard wall behind him.

"Well, you found me." The demon laughed, looking at Blaire and moving towards her, "Oh, beautiful girl…I loved it when I was inside you…you're hot stuff, I gotta say…"

The words coming from the lips of her father broke Blaire down even more, and despite the thing speaking not being her dad, it was in his body. She felt sicker than she'd ever felt in her life and she looked helplessly at Dean.

"You know, I never told you this, but Sam was going to ask precious little Jess to marry him. Been shopping for rings and everything." The demon in John laughed, "You want to know why? Because they got in the way, her and your Momma."

"In the way of what?" Sam asked.

"My plans for you, Sammy. You... and all the children like you." The demon laughed, "And as for you, Blaire Winchester, your time's gonna come when you're gonna freak people out just like Sammy boy did to Dean…"

Blaire looked confused.

"Oh…you didn't know?" The demon laughed, "Ohhh, keeping secrets are we, boys?"

"What?" Blaire asked, "What didn't they tell me?"

"Sam's a psychic…" The demon said, Blaire looking up at her brother who looked away with shame, "Ah…not as close as you all seem…with your petty little hugs and your 'tenderness and care'…yet you still deceive each other, dear me…"

"FUCK YOU!" Dean yelled, suddenly screaming in pain as blood began to pour from his chest.

The other Winchester siblings cried out and struggled against the demons spell.

"Dad, please…" Dean breathed, suddenly going unconscious. "

"DEAN!" Blaire yelled, bursting into tears at the sight of her brother bleeding on the floor.

"Stop." She heard a familiar voice whisper, "Stop it."

"Daddy!" She cried, "DAD!"

Sam, having being let go, suddenly leapt for the gun, grabbing it and shooting John in the leg. Blaire fell to the floor, crawling over to Dean and lifting him with the best of her strength to rest him against her.

"Dean? Honey? Oh my God…you've lost a lot of blood…" She breathed.

"Where's Dad?" Dean asked weakly, looking up into his sister's teary eyes.

"He's right here." She whispered, stroking her brother's hair and face, kissing his forehead, "He's right here, Dean. It's gonna be okay…"

Sam was checking on John, their father lying motionless on the cold hard floor of the bloodstained cabin.

"Dad? Dad?" He asked, John's eyes shooting open.

"Sammy! It's still alive. It's inside me, I can feel it. You shoot me. You shoot me! You shoot me in the heart, son!" John begged, the other Winchester children unable to believe what they were hearing, unable to believe what they were seeing when Sam aimed the gun at his father with tears in his eyes. "Do it now!"

"SAM, NO!" Blaire cried, "DON'T SHOOT HIM!"

"You've gotta hurry! I can't hold onto it much longer! You shoot me, son!" John cried desperately, Blaire unable to tear her eyes away from the scene before her, "Shoot me! Son, I'm begging you! We can end this here and now! Sammy!"

"Sam, no…" Dean coughed, "No…"

"You do this! Sammy!" John cried, "Sam…"

Suddenly, black smoke shot out of John's mouth, Blaire leaning over Dean to protect him out of pure instinct.

* * *

Blaire cradled Dean's head to her shoulder in the Impala, Sam and John upfront while she tried to help Dean in the back.

"Look, just hold on, alright." Sam said, voice quavering with emotion, "The hospital's only ten minutes away."

"I'm surprised at you, Sammy. Why didn't you kill it? I thought we saw eye-to-eye on this?" John breathed, "Killing this demon comes first…before me, before everything."

Sam looked in the rear-view mirror at his siblings, watching Blaire as she cradled Dean close, whispering soft assurances to his hair as she held him and tried to help him, tears streaming down her face.

"No, sir. Not before everything. Look, we've still got the Colt. We still have the one bullet left." Sam said, "We just have to start over, alright? I mean, we already found the demon…"

Suddenly there was a huge smash, the car suddenly being dragged sideways as an eighteen-wheeler crashed into it, the Winchesters all unconscious in the car, coated in blood.

-The End-

* * *

**I loved writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading! As usual it was wonderful to write this for you and thanks so much for all the support with it! **

**The second installment of this series will be up very soon and will be called: _The Paths We Tread: Facing Our Truth_ and will cover the events of Season 2. **

**Until next time, thanks for reading! **

**_RosesandThorns666_**

**xxxxxxxxx_  
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